Lindsey In Peru

Coming Home

2006-03-23T19:03:00.000-05:00

Mar. 22
I've definitely been slacking on my journaling. OK, you have me, I've hardly journaled at all in the last couple of months. Maybe it's because I have 44 days left in country. I remember sitting at my desk in the Family Connection office counting down from 64 days until I leave for Peru. Now, here I am counting the days until I come home.

March 20 marked my two year anniversary. The day went by like any other, but I did take the time to congratulate myself and a couple others. I also took the time to reflect on my two years here. I've really done this. Looking back over two years, it's not the change I see in Peru or my Peruvian counterparts that I really appreciate, but the change I see in myself. I'm so much more aware of who I really am. I've learned that Peace Corps is about character development of the volunteer; the projects in sites become secondary. I've learned how to take care of myself. I see that it's good to take from others who are different from you and use their good qualities to improve yourself. I'm proud to be small town Southerner. What a blessing it truly is to be from a culture where belief in God thrives and genuine hospitality, not only to your neighbor but any stranger, is not only expected by taken for granted.

I'm ready to go home. Before now, I wasn't. I often thought that I was ready. Oh, I was so homesick, believing I was never going to make it to the end of two years. But looking back, I wasn't. I wasn't ready on the inside. Now, it's the Lindsey that accepts her strengths and shortcomings, that appreciates what makes her, well, Lindsey that is coming home.

Feb. 27
I keep envisioning myself working in New England for the summer, doing things I've only wished I could do in the past, especially sea kayaking, sailing. It's kind of like my Peace Corps service, but shorter and with kids that actually speak my language. And unlike Peace Corps, they're actually going to be paying me!

I've just returned from COSing in Lima, that's Close of Service in PC lingo. I'm officially done! I have the certificate and pin to prove it. It really is an awesome feeling to know that I made it the two full years, not to mention, I'm practically a different person having learned so much.

I had some friends from home visiting for a couple of days. They were such troopers! Barely speaking any Spanish, they made it to Huaraz to hang out with me, then on to Cuzco to see Machu Picchu. It was a fun week.

Feb. 10
Today was Ultimate day and it was a fun time. We had to share the field with literally hundreds of kids that evidently were on some kind of field day. We nestled away our little bit of space and ended up playing a good game of five on five. I twisted my left ankle (the only healthy one I had left), but fortunately it was not too severe and I was able to continue playing. One of my buddies got busted in the lip with the disc, so I consider myself pretty lucky, since I didn't shed any blood.

The best news for what's going on with me is that I was offered a job as an adventure travel leader with a company in Nyack, NY. I had an intense 1+ hour web cam interview. I'll be leading groups of high schoolers on adventure and/or service learning trips for 15-20 day trips this summer in Maine, New York, and possibly Colorado and Wyoming. The adventure aspect they throw in is hiking, sailing, climbing, swimming, kayaking, biking, and horse back riding. They are even going to certify me in First Aid, CPR, and Life guarding. I'm so excited.

Feb. 5
It hit me in the face that I really only have a couple of months to go. With such a tight schedule my days are filled with various projects that I'm trying to complete:

The Youth Development "Best Practices" project is going well. I have been put in charge of interviewing in person nearly all of the current Youth Development PCVs. That means actually going to their sites and questioning them (with a great new digital video camera). Logistically speaking, it's been a lot of work to coordinate with the PCVs to be in their sights when they actually have work going on. For me on a personal level, it's really inspiring to see what good work we are doing with kids in this country. I've actually copied a project, "¿Quien Soy Yo?", and have implemented my own version in the orphanage.

I'm visiting the orphanage around 3-4 times a week. We've made earrings, started the new self-identification workshop, and just generally had a good time. It's overwhelming at times since I have almost 40 kids I'm working with each visit.

The Gringos Saludables theater group starts up again on Tuesday. We've been broad casted on the radio and TV even. Supposedly, the mayor and all the political big-wigs are coming to our next performance. I'll have to make sure my campesina gear is in tip-top form.

The book club is still a big hit. We'll be discussing "Memoirs of a Geisha" come next Saturday. Right now, I'm submersing myself in "The Book of Ruth", a fiction piece written from the perspective of a developmentally challenged girl. It's quite fantastic.

I'm right in the middle of editing our most recent edition of "Pasa La Voz", the PCV Newsletter. It's always fun to read what other PCVs experience and how they then put it down on paper.
My newest project is a Christian Diversity Group retreat coming up weekend after next.

Diversity groups were put into place for PCVs who felt in order to support one another in their similar differences (if that makes sense) and that they might actually meet together and "deal". There is a Jewish group, LBGT group, Minorities group, and several others. The Christian group which I've recently picked up the ball on, is planning on attending an English language interdenominational church service in Lima, then chatting about issues on the beach for a couple of days. It will be nice to be around other Christians and get their views on life as a PCV.

I'm still stressing about what to do with LIFE AFTER PC, as I keep sending in my applications for grad schools and jobs. I'll just have to see when it gets here.

Jan. 17
Life is Peru really never ceases to amaze me. I'm floating, it seems, through my days, nothing really of any importance to do, yet time is flying by and I feel so occupied. I head to Lima tomorrow for an "all-important" work session with my boss and by the time I return to Huaraz, it will be February. February, the month where I officially end my Peace Corps service during our Close of Service ceremony. Where has all my time gone? It seems like yesterday that I returned home from my Christmas vacation to the states.

On Sunday, I took a magnificent hike with some PCV pals. We hiked straight up and toward Huascaran, the highest peak. I can't really describe the feeling I had when we crested the last pass between us and "The Majesty" of the Andes. I felt like I could reach out, wrap my arms around the peak, and touch the snow. The hike exhausted me as we didn't really know our route and ended up following the river back to the main road. Resting for lunch and to chat with some barefoot Quechua women, it can be marked as another fantastic day.

2006-03-04T15:48:00.000-05:00

Turquoise water of Lake Llanganuco

Oasis Fun

2005-12-12T23:31:00.000-05:00

Dec. 10
I've heard that it has been super cold at home lately. For this reason, I won't be able to bring Kanela home with me just yet. The airlines won't fly animals if the temps are below 45 degrees. Mom says she might come back to Peru in May, so we can travel a few weeks together through Argentina and Chile. She'll then take Kanela back to the states with her and I'll travel north through Colombia with my friend, Victoria.

My plans to leave in March are quickly being pushed farther and farther back. I just have so many things to get done, it seems like. I still want to do the Huayhuash, a 10 day trek, here in Ancash. Since the rains are here, I'll have to wait til April to get it in my schedule. Plus a group of PCVs from my group are planning a last hoorah for then as well. I can't be missing out on that.

My ankle is still weak and blue, but doing much better. I thought I would try to run a bit tomorrow to see if I'll be OK for the 8K on Sunday.

My tutoring classes with the comedor have come to a close because the kids are on summer break. The orphanage has me lined up to do all kinds of interesting things in the new year. I'm pretty pumped about it all. They're interested in a relaxation workshop for the house mothers. I was thinking maybe classes on meditation and massage would be helpful for them. Then for the four infants in the house, they would like me to do something with early stimulation. Seems they have poor reflexes and motor skills. Sadly, the house mothers just don't have time to work with them. Plus, I'll be doing my standard self-esteem and leadership work with the adolescents.

I'm feeling the anxiety of wanting to get on that plane. I've been picking up random Christmas gifts this morning and buying my bus tickets into Lima. Just another week, if I can make it.

Dec. 8
We've done eight theater shows since Sunday. Hiking in and out of communities, doing two or three shows a day, plus my boss from Lima is here on an extended site visit, so I have crawled into bed exhausted at night.

Being productive and staying busy has its own rewards. Since I only have 12 more days till I get home, I prefer to have my days filled as to not spend so much time wishing time would speed up so I can get on a plane.

I’ve been asked by my boss to help with a new project plan for our group, Youth Development. I really am excited. It's quite an honor. I will be traveling to all of the Youth Development PCVs sites after the New Year. "Best Practices" is the theme and it will be my responsibility to interview and document such activities for the upcoming training and new project plan. The work will allow me to release some of my responsibilities in the orphanage and comedor.

I haven't had much time to prep for going home. I've bought a few things that I've seen in the market that I thought would make good Christmas gifts and that is about it. My host mom left last night to spend the holidays with her family in Lima. I already miss her. She is such a sweetie.

Dec. 3
Ultimate was so fun yesterday! I was on fire chasing down the long tosses. I made a miraculous back-handed catch after diving into the in-zone. All was great until I hit a hole and twisted my ankle. There was a big crack and I crumbled in pain. Fortunately, it has only swollen up a bit and is now a nice purple color. I put ice on it right afterwards and took some ibuprofen, that seemed to help. What is it with me? I evidently don't feel right if I don't have some nasty bruising somewhere. We had our book club meeting this morning and it was a blast. Cafe Andino outdid themselves with free drinks and appetizers. We had juice, coffee, guacamole, taquitos, and french toast. All that for just showing up! The discussions didn't become so heated, but it was neat to see what others' impressions and interpretations of certain themes turned out to be. Our next selection is Wicked. A novel somewhat about the Wizard of Oz but told from the Wicked Witch's view.

Nov. 30
Since it's not like me to break tradition, I have spent most of the day in bed. This altitude readjustment is no fun. Maybe I should ask about altitude medicine. Or on second thought, it does make for a good excuse to be lazy, read, and drink tea all day long. Last night's bus ride was most eventful. There's an unusual cold front in the mountains, so I just about froze my buns off plus we broke down midway. We had to wait a couple of hours on another bus to pick us up.
My new glasses are super sharp. I almost forgot to pick them up last night and had to make a mad dash to the store before going to catch my bus. I think I'll stock up on glasses while I am here. They are so cheap, as in cost efficient. Here's to hoping that they hold up.

I caught an episode of the Amazing Race before I left. It looks like they are playing in teams of three or more now. Plus, I saw the latest Survivor episode. I could so do that. Maybe I’ll apply.

Nov. 28
I did indeed run my 45 minutes this morning, or close to an hour. Actually, I'm not really sure. I thought I started my watch, ran for what felt like about 25 minutes, then looked down to realize it still said 00:00. At that point, I turned it on for real and ran 35 more minutes. It was a hot, sunny day and it felt good to stretch my legs. I do have exactly three weeks to prepare for the 8K, but I think I have it whipped.

In the afternoon, I headed to the mall and ordered myself a new pair of glasses, a smart new pair of rimless ones. Then enjoyed a Starbucks and shopping with another PCV pal. Tonight, unfortunately, I'm the only PCV left at the embassy family's house. Everyone else has returned to their sites. It will be nice to see some reality TV since all the guys have been monopolizing the tube all weekend with football.

The book that was chosen for the book club is Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. I have read it and loved it, not only because it's very southern but because it has some great social issues that contradict that time period in the south.

Nov. 27
Today has been spent lazily, like most of my Sundays in this country. We got back to Lima around 4:00 AM and went to the PC office, as not to disturb the embassy family so early. I immediately crashed on the floor and found four more hours of sleep, while my comrades got in some Internet time. After we made it back to our host's house, I bummed around the house, doing laundry and watching TV. I only made it back outdoors this afternoon to go to the cinema to see Zorro. An entertaining film, that was somewhat comical in a cheesy way.

The 8K has been postponed for December 18. Someone was looking out for me, because I couldn't have asked for a better change. That gives me two full weeks to prepare, starting tomorrow. I was thinking of getting up and going for a long run, probably around 40-45 minutes. I haven't ran since Thanksgiving day and my body is itching to be active again.

I have already started my personal Christmas shopping from here. I've ordered new Chacos. This could get addictive.

Nov. 26
I can't even hardly begin to describe my day. It really has been, if not one of the best then, at least one of the most exciting days I have had so far in this country.

Our day started out super early, around 6:00 AM, we were picked up and taken to Pisco, a town about an hour from Ica. From there, we boarded a boat to tour the Ballestas Islands. I really had no idea what we were going to experience. When we saw the first sea lion, I honestly felt like I had stepped onto the pages of National Geographic. To hear them roar and just to see literally thousands of majestic animals playing and swimming, it almost took my breath away. We were treated to views of fantastic rock formations jutting out of the ocean and even saw a family of penguins, not to mention, thousands of near extinct birds swarming over head.

From the islands, we headed back to Ica for a tour of the local vineyards. Ica is mostly famous for the wine and liquor that they make locally. At this point, I felt like I had stepped onto the movie "A Walk in the Clouds" with Keanu Reeves where he works on a vineyard in Mexico. We, of course, indulged in tastings and ended up with several bottles to take home. My favorite was a Pisco Cream, kind of like Baileys.

From there, we headed to Huacachina, a literal oasis in the middle of a desert. After huge dunes of pure sand and desert, we encountered this tiny town around a little lake. In the dunes, we loaded our sand boards and boarded dune buggies for one crazy, exhilarating ride over the desert. I had no idea such extreme adventure existed. The drivers climb then race down the dunes, while we were screaming our lungs out.

The sand boarding was done on our stomachs. While we could have sand boarded standing up, for us it became more like bobsledding. Supposedly, we reached speeds of 100 kilometers per hour. I honestly don't doubt it. Everything was going well and we were high on life from the craziness of the day, until my PCV pal went down the last dune and somehow flew off her board and rolled the rest of the way to the bottom. She immediately said her wrist was broken. From other passengers in our buggy, we then heard that accidents were quite frequent and that even deaths in the last couple of months have been reported. By the time we made it back to Ica, thankfully she reported her arm was doing better. I'm sure that had to do with the fact that she swallowed three ibuprofen. I'm just glad we made it back out alive.

Nov. 25
You can find me tonight in Ica, oasis of the desert, about five hours south of Lima. Ica is famous for its wine and Afro-Peruvian heritage. Today's traveling has been pretty tranquilo. We found a decent hostel and set ourselves up with a tour of the sand dunes and islands for tomorrow. Supposedly, it's the "Poor man's Galapogos" and I'll get a view of penguins, sea lions, and dolphins.

I called my brother, parents, grandparents, and cousins to bid them a Happy Turkey Day yesterday. It's great to catch up, I should do it more than just on the major holidays.

Visiting with the marines was interesting and informative. It's a little crazy to think that we're all about the same age, in the same country, working for the same government, yet from different perspectives on how to "make the world a better place." I think it was good for us to share our realities. In the end, I think that the marines probably just consider us a bunch of granola tree huggers.

Nov. 23
Just as I suspected it would, being in Lima around other PCVs that I've missed, is making my Thanksgiving break a happy and relaxing one. We're currently just chilling in the PC office listening to some good tunes and enjoying vanilla macadamia nut coffee. When our comrades from Northern Peru get here, we'll be off to the embassy hosts for Turkey Day preparations.

The self-esteem workshop went off without a hitch. Over 20 adolescents showed up and seemed to enjoy the activities. We drew our "personal flags" and made a "strength tree" with leaves describing our strengths as individuals. My favorite part was the ice-breaker game of musical chairs, played to the tune of Gwen Stefani's Holla Back.

Nov. 22
I've been busy this morning preparing for a little self-esteem workshop for some kiddies in Anta, a PCV friend's site, that I'll be doing this afternoon. Hopefully, the kids show up.

Last night, I had a small "break down" after calling home. I probably shouldn't mention such nonsense, since I usually try to stay upbeat and positive when I write, as to continue with the perception that things are always hunky-dory with me here. But the truth of it is, some days just suck being away from home. I know it's that I'm anxious to start Thanksgiving vacation, but even those thoughts become heavy if I dwell on them too long. My family's yearly traditions with the turkey, black-eyed peas, mashed potatoes, watching ball games on TV, playing board games, and snoozing in the recliner just sound so great.

Today is much sunnier as I prepare to leave on a bus tonight for Lima with another PCV. The Fargo's are having a huge Thanksgiving meal and nine other PCVs will be there with me to celebrate. Then I'll get to enjoy a few vacation days in Ica and Nazca. In just 27 days, I can enjoy the holidays and America for real.

Nov. 20
The honey harvest celebration was painfully exciting. I was stung 3,000 times. OK, only 8 times, but it feels like thousands. Let's just say that the honey harvesting got a little bit out of control. A group of us went to Vicos last night, so we could hike up to the beehives super early this morning. I slept on a dirty floor and noticed just as the light was turned off that we had a couple of rats for bed buddies. The wheat bread and barley water they called coffee was hardly enough for energy to hike two hours straight up the mountain.

The harvesting had already begun when we arrived. We helped with scraping the gum off the comb, then spinning it in the harvester. All was great until another PCV had a small panic attack from all the bees and started running around with his arms flailing. This only managed to entice the bees further, getting them stirred up and crazy. Kanela and I headed for the hills (literally) but got some battle wounds, nonetheless.

With Thanksgiving coming up next week, we had our last theater practice yesterday. Our next performances are during the first week of December. Our big boss from Lima will be making the trip to see it. We'll be dancing this time to "Eye of the Tiger" and making grand fools of ourselves.

Nov. 18
I worked the moss off my buns today. Ultimate was, as usual, a whole lot of fun. My team won the first game then we got beat 9-11 in the second. I was the only gal on the field. To top off my exhaustion, I ran the 40 minutes back to town.

Tomorrow, I'm going to be busy in the morning with the theater group. We're preparing the dance scene for our gender equality skit. Then in the afternoon, I head to Vicos, the little town where my family and I stayed during their visit. With the money we paid them for our stay, they bought a honey harvester. I've been especially invited to join in on the first batch.

Nov. 17
It's already below freezing at home. It's warming up here. In fact, I slept with my bedroom door open to catch a breeze last night and made Kanela keep to her side of the bed.

I worked at my desk all day on an essay for grad school, due on November 20. I'm applying to a program called the Mississippi Teachers Corps. The MTC was founded by a Returned PCV and places recipients in poor Mississippi public schools as teachers while providing salary, 100% tuition, and absolutely all costs toward a Masters in Education at Ole Miss.

All of the jobs that I've found online within the non-profit, social work arena have administrators with Masters in Education degrees. Plus, I've often thought I might want to teach at the college level or at least be involved in Student Affairs. The MTC program sounds like a good starting point, especially with all the financial benefits.

Today, I did visit another volunteer and we took a short hike to see the devil rock just outside of town. Legend goes that after the devil drained a huge lake there, in its stead he left an image of himself on a boulder. I'm a bit skeptical. Nov. 16
My new "assistant" showed up for class again today. Before I become to cynical, I have to admit class did go a lot smoother than normal. He was able to help the older kids with their more complicated homework, while I focused on the little tykes. Then after everyone finished homework, we did another drawing activity. The class lasted almost two hours and I didn't feel like pulling my hair out even once. Then afterwards, he asked if I could help him with his English. It's a give and take, so I assured him I could before any scheduled class. I was called gringa twice on my trip to the market this afternoon. I guess I didn't go brown enough.

Nov. 15
My kiddies love the idea of sending things through the mail. It's even more exciting when I bring in something written or drawn especially for them from the states. They talk about every little aspect. It's so enduring.
I rode my bike to Anta today. It was a gorgeous day with fragrant flowers blooming and clear views of the mountains. I got there faster than I thought at exactly 90 minutes. The wind at times was difficult to manage but it was mostly downhill, with a couple of short climbs.

I'm so excited about my Thanksgiving plans. I'm going with three other gals from my training group to Lima for a huge traditional meal at the Fargo's, my favorite embassy family. Then we're all heading to Ica, south of Lima to see the Nazca Lines. (Those designs in the desert that can only be seen from a plane that have no explanation how they got there.) We're also going to ride dune-buggies and go sand boarding. We might even get to Arequipa, second largest city in Peru.

Of course, nothing can substitute a Thanksgiving day with my family at home. At least, I'll be there for Christmas.

Nov. 14
I had an interesting development in my classes today. Not five minutes into my lesson on colors/numbers, the lady in charge of the comedor tells me that we have a new teacher who will be helping with math and reading. Great, I think, who's this invading my class? He sat at the end of the table and made comments while I explained the lesson. After class, he said that he was studying English and maybe I might could help him after class. Then it all started to click. He even pulled out a tape recorder and wanted to interview me for his research. Maybe I am just too jaded, but I'm thinking I'm over this part of PC too.

Kanela and I both have new hair dos. In honor of my 26th year, I dyed my hair brown. Had I known what a relief it would be not to hear gringa all the time, I would have done it sooner. And Kanela looks like a skint rat, I cut off all her curls.

Nov. 13
I think I have milked this birthday for all it's worth. The hike today was so great! We headed out early this morning, packs full of food and three dogs in tow. Kanela got in major trouble when she decided to chase some chickens, but she loved swimming in the river. We saw ruins, a gorgeous valley, and two sets of waterfalls. Plus we tossed the Frisbee and chilled in the sun. I just got back and I'm pretty sun burnt and exhausted, but it's a great feeling.
"Oh, it's just a chicken" would never be uttered by a campesino here. They immediately take advantage of the situation and demand some ridiculous price for their doomed animal. I've seen other PCVs dog's coral sheep and kill them. It was a scary sight. I don't think Kanela is quite as vicious. She just wants to prove to the chicken that she can drive it crazy, I think.
I unexpectedly got landed as tour guide for the newest group of PC trainees here in Huaraz. I've been showing them around town and explaining the ins/outs of being a PCV. It was fun last round, now I'm kinda over it. Of course, the newbies got the "always on the ball, enthusiastic, helpful, positive Lindsey" during their visit. I couldn't let them see what it's really like being an almost done, lackadaisical, some-what jaded PCV.
That's the secret to a happy and successful PCV, avoid boredom at all costs. Pack your schedule full of activity, even it that means organizing your sock drawer by color and style, keeping a journal with a log of books read, or conducting a trip to the market like it's an investigation in culture.

Nov. 12
I've been celebrating my 26th birthday since yesterday and it's not even until tomorrow. Yesterday for lunch, my friends treated me to a delicious ceviche and another group took me out for dinner and drinks. So, I'm letting yet another group take me out tonight for Chinese. Then tomorrow, I'm hiking/picnicking to "officially" mark the entrance into my late twenties. I should feel guilty, I guess, but I think it's just that PCVs love a reason to get together.
Nov. 10
I had to cancel my normal class with the kiddies because I had a site visit with the South American Safety and Security Director. I was more than nervous because he's a big wig in all of Peace Corps. Fortunately, he was super cool even swearing and talking as if his PC service just happened yesterday. I told him my thoughts on how to make our Youth Development Program more effective and my impression on PC as a whole. He frankly discussed what he saw as problems and strengths in our region. He saw a real problem with too many volunteers congregating in Huaraz, the regional capital. What I found surprising was that he didn't so much place blame on PCVs but on administration. He called it "lazy site development" and that the directors should put PCVs more in the back country so it's harder to just cruise into the capital city when you're bored. He praised my work and initiative and that of other PCVs. We also visited with my host family and he won them over. Reyda, my host mom, has been raving about the Gringo with the excellent Spanish since he left.

Nov. 6
The race was fantastic. Lima really surprised me and pulled out all stops. There were bands at every kilometer, supporters, water, port-a-potties, and even garbage cans. My favorite part was just at the end after a bit of a climb, I crested the hill to see a huge yoga group in position all clad in orange with the Pacific Ocean as their background. It was a powerful sight. I finished right at 63 minutes. Looks like high altitude training paid off, that's much better than my last race.

I'm such an already addicted running glutton. I've decided I want to do a half marathon and of course a duathalon. There's the Peachtree Roadrace in Atlanta in July. How cool would it be to travel around the states and participate in races.
Last night was movie night and I was suckered into a horror/suspense film called Skeleton Key with Kate Hudson. Surprisingly, it was really good and I recommend it. It's set in the South and the old lady's accent made me happy. My PCV buddies asked me to translate. Meanies.
Nov. 4
Today was Ultimate and I'm wore-out. I have much more of a competitive nature that I give myself credit. I hate losing! The craziest thing happened during the game. Some campesinos tied a cow to a pole by his horns. Then to our surprise, they began stabbing it right in it's spine to slaughter it! I have seen animals killed here but this one affected me like no other. It was so horrific. Honestly, I see why people are vegetarians, vegan, animal rights activists. The cow's suffering brought tears to my eyes.

I realize that slaughtering animals is a necessity in life in the campo. In the states, we get our steaks and chicken breasts all neatly packaged in the supermarket and don't really have to think about what was done to the cow or chicken. It was a good, but harsh, lesson for me. And one, I won't soon forget.

After the game, a running buddy wanted to jog back to town and I had to oblige. I've probably worked harder today than I should have considering I'm racing in just a couple of days. At least, I'll sleep on the bus.
After doing a small online survey, I started thinking about what I consider my biggest accomplishment. My first thought went to just last year when I worked in the landfill in Trujillo. When I did my first site visit and realized how challenging my job was going to be, I literally fell apart. I had honestly never encountered a situation where I truly didn't think I had it in me to do. Having challenged myself to stay, live, and work in such an environment, is definitely my biggest tangible accomplishment.

I began to look at the question in a different light. What about me, my persona, do I consider my biggest accomplishment? It would have to be that I had the courage to challenge the expected life in my small town and in the end challenge myself. I "got out", studied, traveled, and became an individual.

Nov. 3
My kiddies had a fantastic time watching our skit today. I don't think they expected us to break out the dance moves and they even called for an encore. Hard to call it work, when we have so much fun. It's the first time they saw me out of my serious teacher mode.

I try not to think too hard about coming home, so I don't get too excited too soon. Although, I have started a countdown - 47 days to go. I can't wait to see all my loved ones and get a taste of America. Plus, I'm looking forward to catching a few high school basketball games.

Nov. 2
I'm always searching online for job ideas and things I can do when I finish up with Peace Corps. I ran across what looks like to be a cool summer job working as a "Youth Adventure Leader" with AAVE Teen Adventure Summer Camps. They hire Returned PCVs to be a tour guides/chaperons for highschoolers on 8 week trips to Africa, Alaska, Australia, Ecuador, Thailand, Spain, etc. All expenses paid plus salary and benefits. The only thing I lack on the job requirements is certification as a Wilderness First Responder. I emailed some friends at home to see where they got their certifications and it looks like the place to be trained is in at Landmark in Cullowhee, NC.

Along with the Adventure Youth Leader application, I've investigated a Crew Leader position with the Vermont Conservation Corps, a non-profit youth, conservation, and education organization that works in state park management, trail maintenance, and backcountry construction. I would be leading groups of youth in adventure service projects.

My grad school applications are moving right along as well, but I did have an epiphany today. Why pay for grad school when there are programs out there that pay your way as you make a real salary? DFCS in Georgia has a similar program with Social Work at UGA and Ole Miss has one in Education. So, my search continues and I am just applying to them all. I'll decide which one to take when the time rolls around.

I bought my ticket home for Christmas today! It hardly seems real that I haven't been on US soil in a complete year. I bet I bug out when I get off the plane.

Nov. 1
Today is a huge holiday here, Day of the Dead. There have been lots of Peruvians eating and partying in the grave yards.

Halloween was a ton of fun last night. Rules were that you had to dress up like something Peruvian. We had all kinds of crazy costumes in attendance -- a market bag, an ice cream cone, Tupac Amaru (the revolutionist), a host dad, and even Miss World, this year's pageant queen from Trujillo, Peru. I, of course, was a hit in my campesina outfit. Walking to dinner, I got even more attention than the usual. I think they really thought I was a fair, as in light skinned, campesina. Men were staring and calling me, Blanca, not the usual Gringa.
Oct. 30I'm excited about the 10K. I can't believe it's a week from tomorrow. Looks like I'll have a couple of PCVs running with me, plus my favorite Embassy host dad. I thought I would get a Peru T-shirt and show some pride.

Some good news is that the book club I'm trying to get off the ground has it's first official meeting on Tuesday morning. I even talked our favorite cafe owner into giving a free round of coffee to all those that attend. It's the free stuff that reels 'em in.

Oct. 28
My running motivation is where it should be. I did the 50 minutes yesterday along my new track. Today's Ultimate was awesome. We had tons of new players show up, four guys from Lima, a couple more Aussies, a gal from Belgium, and our normal motley crew. The opposite team gave me a nickname, Atlanta Ghost, because I kept sneaking away and sprinting for the long toss.

Oct. 26
I made it back to Huaraz yesterday morning and have been busy since I put my bags down. My theater group headed to a small town, Mato, about three hours from Huaraz to spend the night (too far to get there this morning) and to perform for a health fair. Surviving on bread and water as we camped out in the floor of another volunteer's host family. Then this morning bright and early, we were welcomed in grand style at the local school. I worked the tooth brushing booth, while my comrades worked with exercise, hand washing, and nutrition. We were treated to so much food, including guinea pig. We performed our skit, enjoyed special dancing and poem reading. It's probably the only time in my life, I'll ever feel like a celebrity.

Oct. 24
I happened to catch a music video the other day of Tim McGraw and Nelly signing a duet. I was overjoyed. Two of my favorite music genres (country and hip hop) have finally converged. I felt sillywhen I wrote another country music lover PCV and she said I was way behind and that I should check out Yahoo Music. Since then, I've been streaming all the big hits and new music that's out. Sheryl Crow has dropped a new album. I'm going to see if I can find a pirated version. In the late afternoon, I went downtown to change my bus ticket. I thought I would go to the black market. Big mistake! After being warned, by two separate guys on the street that I should be careful, I figured it best to head back to the better side of town. So, I treated myself to a Frappuccino and some unneeded things at the mall.

Oct. 23
So, it's officially getting cold at home. I think this is probably the time of year that both Georgia and Peru somewhat have the same type of weather. For me, I'm enjoying a typical Peruvian Sunday. The country literally stops for this day of rest. It's so easy to do nothing and relax. The host family is working out very well. They are extremely laid-back and act like I'm one of the family. Having told me to make myself at home, I made a salad for lunch and washed my clothes intheir bonafide washer and dryer. Their book collection is to die for, well, in my opinion. It's a jumble of contemporary fiction and best-sellers.
Oct. 22
My mom actually just emailed me a list of things she "forgot" to buy while she was here, so it looks like I'll begin a painting, scarf, and pottery search. They finally found me a host family, one that hasn't hosted volunteers before. Their house is fantastic, of course, but the first round of pleasantries are a little stiff when you are trying to figure out what to do with someone, in this case, me, the PCV.

Peace Corps is so good at teaching a person how to fit in with any group of people. You really learn how to read situations and people and what to do to alleviate any discomfort. Yet anotherlesson I’ve learned from this experience.
There is something weird going on with all these hurricanes in the world. They just don't stop. My host mother was actually mentioning it to me when I was at home in Huaraz. She is evangelical as opposed to the majority who are Catholic and thinks it's God "taking care" of the world and it's wicked ways. I imagine that thought runs through the minds of the people in my hometown as well.
Lima folk tend to believe that pets get cold in this climate, so they have these little fleece sweaters they put on all the dogs. PC is always saying for us to "integrate" into life here, so appropriately I bought Kanela a red and yellow ruffled fleece, for those extra chilly morning walks. Kanela (and probably all my PCV pals) are going to kill me.

Oct. 21
I ran for a solid 60 minutes yesterday afternoon and it was the best thing that I could have done. Not only did it give me time to think, pray, and laugh at myself, but also it exerted my body. I even found somewhat of a "track" just up from my house in the nice section of town. It's paved, about a 10 minute loop with little traffic. To boot, I decided that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing and I'll just see about the rest as it becomes necessary to deal with it.

I made it to Lima around 5:00 this morning and things are going well. The weather isn't quite a sunny as Huaraz, but nonetheless a beautiful day. My dentist appointment didn't shed too much light. They took x-rays to begin a baseline to track any damage. In three months, I'll need another one to make sure they are healing properly. If not, something as severe as a root canal might be in order.

The big city has lots to offer for the weekend. I've already done some shopping for sandals and pants. Also, a PCV friend is in for medical checks as well, so we've already made plans for dinner and a movie. They haven't found me a host family (seems all the Embassy employees took vacations at the same time) as of yet, so I might be in a hotel. Either way, sounds like it will be a nice setup.

Oct. 20
I'm still driving myself crazy with worrying about grad school and my plans for after PC. I wish I could do like some people and just live for today in today, but I can't help but think about what I want to do and where I want to be or if anything I am doing today is what I should be doing.

It's like I have been walking around with a dark cloud over my head since Monday. Work is good, and I would like to say that it's that I'm bored, which could very well be it, but maybe it's more. OK, so I am going to think on it more and maybe come to a conclusion or at least a temporary one I can live with.

Oct. 19
My classes today were hectic. I had a crowd! We continued with our same lesson from Monday. The same little boy, who called me on the pencil sharpener incident, brought me a pencil after class that he had collected from a classmate who was taking it home with him. Maybe I didn't mess up too bad.

I really like the idea of facilitating adoptions and hope to get into the field back home in the states. It's challenging, of course, seeing so many little kids who need good parents, but rewarding in the end when you can make a match. I decided not to brave the clinic again today. Something about how the secretary said he would be in today, told me he really wasn't going to be. So, I decided instead to write to the PC doctor in Lima and hopefully get an appointment there. I'm a bit skeptical about the quality of care here in rural Huaraz anyway.

As for my teeth, three of them are completely numb and have been since the accident. I'm a bit worried. Especially after another volunteer told me about his friend who had a mouth injury where his teeth "died" and eventually fell out.

Oct. 18
In the afternoon, I was supposed to have a doctor's appointment to see about any lasting damage from my fall. I'm a bit worried since my teeth are still numb. So, I showed up at my scheduled appointment time of 4:00. I was told that the doctor was in surgery and could I please return in an hour. I did just that and waited another half hour to go to the third floor where I was told he would be another hour. I returned after the allotted time to have the secretary tell me he's not going to make it to the office at all. Oh, the joys of doctors and inefficiency. I'm trying it again tomorrow.

Yesterday with the kids of the community kitchen we worked on our numbers and colors in English, then drew a picture about ourselves. They each took their turn explaining their drawings.

I made somewhat of a boo-boo during class and I am still feeling guilty. It's not unusual for my kiddies to 'borrow' the supplies I bring to class and not return them. When my pencil sharpener went missing, I immediately asked who had taken it. I even ensued with a pocket search. When one of the kids told me I had taken it back and put in my pouch, I disagreed. Later in class, I went for my pen and what did I find but the pencil sharpener. I apologized to the entire class. I still feel bad.

In the late afternoon, I made it up to the orphanage where I played with the kiddies, showed off my battle wounds, and helped with dinner preparations. If I were in a different stage in my life, I wouldn't hesitate to adopt a little four-year-old girl named Luna. Instead, I have a friend at home that is actively trying to adopt internationally and hopes to do it in Peru, mostly because I'm here and can help out. Unfortunately, the orphanage has had some bad press lately about claims that they are selling children to foreigners. There were five different local TV stations knocking on the door in hopes of an interview with the director. I hope this doesn't impede any progress I can make for my friend.

Oct. 17
Today was my first day back to my tutoring classes with the community kitchen kids. With my family visiting, then my accident, I've felt all turned around. There's something very comforting about getting back to my normal routine.

I had a really good conversation with a PCV friend this morning. She stopped by just to sponge some lunch and coffee. We discussed how our lives here are so normal and that we are pretty darn lucky. With our return looming closer by the day, we talked about the things we take for granted that will be missed. Like today, taking a couple of hours to chat over coffee and visit with me, to hiking for hours with no real destination, to reading a good book just because we want, to perusing the market on a whim's notice.

In the states, in the same situation, we would, of course, have work and responsibilities. We might stop by a friend's house to chat, but we'd be rushed to the next place, job, etc. Which brought us to our responsibilities as people. Is it to be productive, work, make money? or is it to be happy, self-serving, caring, or to help others? Of course, I don't think these qualities are mutually exclusive. It's been important for me to see that it's a balance, one I hope I take home with me.
Oct. 16
Today has been a very productive day. It feels good to get something done. I woke up early and ran my 30 minutes. I had a 'first' happen today on my run. I'm on a downhill, cruising right along, when I notice a van stopped on my side of the highway. I see that a guy is standing behind the van. As I pass by, to my dismay he was, ummm, shall we say, exposing himself. Geez, the things people will do.

Around lunch time, my theater group met for our next production. It looks like we're going to do a rendition of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Peruvian style in Layman's term Spanish. I'm the mother and really excited about dressing up like a campesina, complete with layered shirts, hat, and shawl. I've been needing a reason to buy a traditional outfit.

The book club I'm trying to get off the ground has decided on a first selection, The Time Traveller's Wife, and our first official meeting is at the end of the month. I didn't even pick the selection, a nontraditional love story.

Oct. 15
Today and yesterday we have had beautiful weather as well. I should have headed on a trek. You just never know with this climate. The skies have been clear, lots of great sunshine, then in the evenings it chills off enough that a fleece feels perfect. While I didn't run today, I did take a long hike with Kanela. I even contemplated going by the scene of the manhole accident, but the thought kinda freaked me out. Someone via email asked me what would I do if I only had a year to live. Here are my thoughts --First, I would return from Peru and spend about a month with my family and friends. Just doing normal things like shopping, eating out, cooking in, cleaning up around the house, reminiscing, and visiting.

Then, I would plan a huge around-the-world trip. I would invite my mom and brother to go with me to Europe. We would spend weeks exploring hot spots like Paris, London, Madrid, Berlin, and Venice. We would visit museums, backpack, drink great wine, and dance in the streets. I would want to spend at least a week in some castle by the sea. Where we could ride horses, hike, and take walks on the beach. Also, I'd like to spend a couple of weeks in the Swiss Alps skiing and being a snow bunny. From Europe, I would go (in no particular order) to Nepal, to Thailand, stop off in South Africa, then head for a couple of weeks to the Australian Outback. Finally making my way back to the United States, I would take my best girl friends and we would do NYC. We'd shop, see shows, and take walks through Central Park.

My dad, step-mom, step-sister, and I would take a motor home road trip. We'd see the Midwest, the Grand Canyon, and end up in Colorado where we'd spend a couple of weeks exploring the West. My mom and I would fly to California to see Hollywood, LA, and the Bay area. Finally, I would have a huge cookout, with a live band and all my favorite foods and drinks, and invite everyone I know. I would tell them all how much I appreciate and love them.

Oct. 14
I pulled myself out of bed this morning to make it up the hill to Ultimate. Of course, I was bombarded with "Oh my gosh, what happened to you?" I think I win the award for most creative black eye story. I could definitely tell my body had taken a beating and that I been pretty much sedentary all week. It was good to get the blood pumping again.

Oct. 13
I'm recuperating and feel okay, just a bit sore and tired. I look like I've been in a good fist fight. I can only imagine what people are thinking when I find them staring. My left eye is purple and swollen plus I have a cut just under my brow.

When my family was here we shopped all over Lima. I used a public restroom in one of the department stores and mistakenly left a new pair of shoes (that my brother had bought me) hanging on the door. Of course, when I went back to get them they were not there. And although my brother assured me something like that could happen anywhere, I still just wished I was at home in comfortable Georgia. I experienced the same emotion when I fell. I guess it's natural when things are going badly or you have a stroke of bad luck to wish you were at home.

Thankfully, I am in much better spirits and even laugh when my buddies tell me to watch out for manholes. Oh, the jokes I've endured!

Manholes!

2005-10-12T19:33:00.000-04:00

October 12, 2005
Today is recoup day. I’ve slept in and my host mom brought my medicine and offered to entertain Kanela on the patio. My teeth are still numb and my eye, even more purple. I took off all the bandaging and cleaned it all very well with alcohol pads. The cut right below my eyebrow, which lines up perfectly with a scar from my childhood, is about an inch in length. One end is very thin, the other is open and red. I imagine if I had been anywhere but the Andes of Peru, they could have put me back together again, a little more esthetically pleasing.

October 11, 2005
Watch out for manholes, especially those without a cover! I took Kanela on our usual walk this morning while simultaneously looking for the Way Inn. Since our trek had been cancelled for rain, my friends and I thought we would go to the Way Inn Lodge about an hour from Huaraz and get in some day hikes to the lakes there.

I’m looking toward the tops of the buildings, trying to locate this hostel, and the next thing I know I’m being pulled from a huge hole by a little Quechua woman. She’s insisting that I stand up and all I want to do is sit down. I saw that my shirt was covered with blood and my face felt like it had been hit with a sledge hammer. Four other Peruvian men came to my aid and insisted that I go to the hospital. I saw my reflection in the car’s window and tried not to overreact; blood was escaping from every orifice. I had them take me to my house instead, but my host mother wasn’t there. I called my closest PCV buddy and while I waited for him to arrive, I sat and cried and wished with all my heart that I was at home in Georgia.

Thinking I might want to pull myself together, I washed the blood from my face, arms, and legs to examine the damage. My face obviously took the brunt of my fall. I had a cut below my eyebrow that was deep and bleeding profusely, plus nasty scrapes on both legs and arms. Two of my friends arrived and helped me to the hospital where I was examined by a “neurosurgeon” and x-rayed. They pressed on my face, checked my vitals, and glued my cut together, without so much as an Advil. Nothing a little makeup can’t cover, the doctor assures me as he hands me a pack of pain pills and cream on my way out the door.

I knew I wouldn’t leave this country without a permanent reminder of my experience.

October 10, 2005
Our trek is cancelled for rain, plus my cronies are sick. It just doesn’t seem like I am meant to go on a trek. First a cancellation on the Huayhuash, then this cancellation for the Santa Cruz, it just doesn’t seem to be in my stars.

October 9, 2005
I’m on a mad hunt for rain pants. I’m heading out with a couple other PCVs on the Santa Cruz trek, a four day hiking and camping venture. I splurged on a new fleece and socks at the Tattoo store. My search for pants ended with a pair of bamba or fake ones found on the second floor of a rickety building in downtown. I stock up on dried fruits, nuts, and granola. My backpack is as efficiently and concisely packed as I could manage.

October 8, 2205
Huari, the site of another PCV, is having its annual Cat Festival this weekend. Thinking it would be fun to head there to eat some feline, a group of PCVs and I headed to the Callejon de Canchucos. The five hour ride ended up taking close to ten after a huge tractor trailer stalled and blocked the road. We entertained ourselves with word games, work conversations, and stories of our pasts. I was wishing that I had stayed in Huaraz when I became ill.

We finally pull into Huari around midnight to see crazy-drunk Peruvian men dancing around the town plaza. Huge floats with religious structures and statues were set up on the periphery and tall totems with streamers loomed the skyline. Since I was rather sick, I found my bed and quickly dozed away my bug.

In the morning, we found a hole-in-the-wall place for breakfast and I emailed the PC doctor. He reasoned that I had bacteria in my belly and said I should start on Cipro immediately. For the day’s excitement, we rented two taxis to take us to a lake just above town. Our taxi overheated and we chilled the car and ourselves on the dirt road for a while, eventually making it to the lake. Quite gorgeous and very pristine, we walked around and took a few photos.

At 3:00 pm, we boarded the same bus to take us back to Huaraz. The ride went much smoother until our bus began smoking from the underside. Stopping to examine the problems, we discovered the mountains covered in snow. The Gringos entertained the rest of the folks on the bus by building a snowman.

October 1, 2005
For the last week, I have been entertaining my friends and family from home. It’s been a remarkably entertaining time for both me and for them, I think. We started out the week with a couple of days in Lima, where we visited the historic downtown. There we saw the Presidential Palace and the Cathedral. My brother was most impressed with the inexpensive prices and proceeded to do some abundant shopping. Mom was on a mad hunt for silver jewelry. In the right place since this country prides itself on the gold and silver mining; she made quite a dent in the supply. We ate at McDonald’s for lunch and then met my favorite Embassy host family for dinner.

The bus ride to Huaraz and to my site was just less than comfortable. Mom said that my house “isn’t as nice as your place in Trujillo.” After meeting my host mother, she saw that some things are more important than modern amenities. My two moms found that although they didn’t speak the same language, that they were alike in their love and concern for their daughters.

Wanting to show my guests a true Peruvian experience, I planned a night’s stay in little town of Vicos. The two hour hike up to our host’s house almost did-in everyone. In Vicos, after we settled into our little humble lodge and inspected the latrine and lack of electricity, we learned to bake bread and make Pachamanca. There were plenty of laughs and surprises as we watched the lives of campesino Peruvians. We drank fresh corn juice, sampled sweet squash pudding and enjoyed our own wheat bread. The hike down was almost more treacherous than the ascent, but the views of the nevadas were incredible.

We splurged on a taxi into Huaraz and quickly crashed at my little apartment. My brother was literally shocked in the shower; I forgot to mention not to touch the wires around the showerhead. We readied ourselves and enjoyed apple bombas before our trip back to Lima.

In Lima, we did even more shopping and were treated to a VIP trip to the US Embassy. We visited the Peace Corps artisan fair where my family met my bosses and colleagues. The new Long Horn Steakhouse at the mall provided us with a spectacular meal of divine steaks and iced Coca-Cola’s.

The send-off was less difficult than I anticipated it would be, maybe because I didn’t go to the airport with them. My taxi ride to my host family was lonely and I couldn’t believe how fast the trip had gone. I was, however, comforted by the knowledge that I would be home in time for Christmas.

September 11, 2005
An anniversary, quite depressingly traumatic in its remembrance, is going on at home. There’s nothing much going on here in Huaraz, on a lazy Sunday morning except cleaning up and organizing. I did go for a bike ride that was quite wonderful in its intensity, nothing like the burn of exertion.

It hit me today that I feel so “normal” here. I no longer feel as if I’m in another country in another culture. I’m the Gringa living in a small Peruvian mountain town and it almost feels like I have been here forever. When we were in training, they told us this would happen in our last year. It’s so true. I can see now how the transition home is going to be hard. To get used to American culture, the efficiency, the rat race. It’s really kind of scary. I see why there are so many ex-pats that have settled here in Huaraz to make their homes. There is something about this little town, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I like it.

September 10, 2005
Standing in line the other day at the bus station, I almost got my rear beat up by a couple of Europeans. They asked a thousand questions to the attendant and while they were conferring between themselves, I quickly handed my sheet of paper with my family’s passport numbers to the attendant. A total of ten bus tickets, at a couple of minutes a piece, meant that the attendant was occupied with me for quite a while. The European rudely said to me, “If you were buying so many tickets, why did you skip line?” In the states and in Europe I am sure that my actions were worthy of his comments, but here forming a line and waiting patiently just doesn’t happen. I realized I had done something so completely Peruvian. I held myself back from saying “When in Rome…”

September 8, 2005
I visited another PCV’s site today in a little town called Vicos. As a business volunteer, he is working on a Cultural Tourism project where tourists go to the campo and work and live like a traditional farming Peruvian. I found his host family to be very welcoming and conversational. They invited me to help sort through thousands of corn kernels that they were going to be planted on the next day. His host family is going to be my family’s hosts for a night when they visit in a couple of weeks. Since we’ve already been to Machupicchu, I thought that a typical mountain experience was next on their adventure list.

September 6, 2005
Let’s pray my new hair do comes out ok. Except for that purple sheen, I’m emotionally renewed. There’s just nothing like going to a salon and having your hair done.

September 3, 2005
Along with a couple of Aussies, three Brits, an Israeli, some Ex-Pat Americans, and four others PCVs, I headed to a field just outside of town for a game of Ultimate Frisbee. It was magnificent with the Andes behind us, the valley of Huaraz below us, and the sun bright above. Sprinting and chasing a flying disc never felt so good.

September 1, 2005
I am waiting for my dog-sitter/PC friend in her site of Buenos Aires with a thousand eyes on me, the neighbors, the chickens, and the pigs. Kanela has had a campo experience and seems to have loved it. We hiked out and enjoyed the mountains scenes, the river, and the sunshine.

August 27, 2005
I had my first big introduction and presentation at a new orphanage. First thing they wanted me to do was sing for them the song from Titanic and later our national anthem. They were extremely welcoming and I spoke at length about my role and my background. We played volleyball and I answered the normal questions.

I am now performing with five other PCVs in a Gringos Saludables or Healthy Gringos socio-drama about self-esteem. We had a working lunch where we joked and laughed and actually got a first-rate script drafted. It is so great to have opportunities to work with other PCVs. I never had these opportunities in Trujillo.

August 26, 2005
*Things I really miss from home…
*Shopping for cutesy, trendy things I don’t need
*Driving in my car across Unicoi with the window down and the music blaring
*Enjoying drinks at the Haufbrau house with Mom and her friends
*Playing summer softball at the Park and Rec
*Strolling through Helen like a tourist
*Browsing my favorite sections at the public library and walking out with an armful of books on CD
*Mexican cheese dip, Texas fajitas, and a tall Margarita on the rocks
*Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Fred’s, and Everything’s Just a Dollar
*Going down every aisle at Wal-Mart
*Huddle House’s bottomless coffee
*Zaxby’s wimpy sauce
*Angela’s sweet tea
*Watching high school basketball games
*Darla’s low-lights, high-lights, and a trim
*Catching the late movie
*Scavenging for treasures in thrift stores
*Old Navy and Gap sales racks
*Starbuck’s decaf, low-fat, sugar-free French Vanilla Cappuccino
*Victoria’s Secret
*Zoey
*Mom, Chad, Daddy & Sherry, Coley, all of my family
*Bryant’s prime rib
*Crossroad’s fried shrimp
*Daniel’s fried chicken and mashed potatoes
*Driving through town and waving at least five people I know
*The $2 store
*Vickie’s biscuits and gravy
*Bathtubs, lots of hot water, a good razor, and a romance novel
*Linda’s pot roast
*Mayfield whole milk by the gallon jug
*Splenda and low-carb everything
*Mall of Georgia
*Riding down GA 400
*O’Charlies’ fresh buttered yeast rolls
*Oreo McFlurries
*Visiting my buddies, chilling, and doing absolutely nothing
*Sitting on Grandmama’s front porch or at the kitchen table
*Piling together in Ma’s living room
*Chatting like sisters with Keisha
*Baby-sitting my little cousins
*Hanging in comfortable silence with my little brother
*Talking about everything with Amy and Cynthia
*Shanghai with Sherry and our friends and family
*Having a cell phone that works
*Washing my clothes in a washer and dryer with Tide and Snuggle
*Sitting on Mom’s front deck, eating a meal prepared from what we found in the fridge
*Sleeping with the heat on, sleeping with the AC on
*Running the washer, the dryer, the heat, the dish washer, the TV, the computer, the curling iron, the air freshener, three lamps, the porch light, the refrigerator, and the microwave all at the same time.
*Parking my car, basking in sunlight, and just soaking up life
*Watching fireworks in Helen
*Grilling steaks, baking potatoes, and tossing fresh salad with Ranch dressing
*Riding on the lake with Daddy
*Midnight trips to Wal-Mart with Sherry
*Watching a good teenaged movie with Coley
*Dinner with Mom and Chad at a nice restaurant
*Nacoochee Grill Birthday Bashes
*Spending the night with Mandy, just like old times
*Shopping or hanging by the pool with Selena
*Locker-room peps talks during a hard, close game
*Sitting on the bed with Grandmama
*Riding to Blue Ridge with Gina
*Going to lunch with Amy, Cynthia, and Jim
*Jim Wood in concert
*Diet Mt. Dew, Diet Dr. Pepper, and Diet Cherry Coke
*Running steps at the Fair Grounds
*Using my debit card to pay for everything
*Driving around Bell Creek in the summertime
*Bell Scene, Shoal Creek, and Cornerstone Baptist Church
*The view of the valley just as you crest over Young Harris Mountain
*Strolling down Airline Road or Red Fox Farm Road
*Walking barefoot in the house
*Plugging something in and not seeing sparks nor getting shocked
*Making a real salary
*Watching the newest episodes of reality TV
*Daily showers with lots of great bath products from which to choose
*CMT, VH1, and MTV
*Knowing that I can visit whomever I choose when the urge hits

August 23, 2005
Kanela had a close call when a dog attacked her on our hike, then she ran in front of a car trying to get away.

I’m cold turkey on caffeine and not doing so well.

Jungle Trip

2005-08-22T23:19:00.000-04:00

August 20, 2005
Kanela and I took a long hike this morning then I headed to Café Andino for a game of scrabble with another PCV. I had my usual scrabbled egg whites and broccoli with tofu and my first Chia tea. It was a spectacular breakfast.

I’ve been thinking for days that I would try my hand at some homemade veggie soup. With it being cold here at night and fresh vegetables at my fingertips, there’s no reason not to. After tossing in every bean, vegetable, and spice that I could find in the kitchen and 3 good hours on the stove, I have to say it was quite tasty. I invited some other PCVs over to enjoy and we all sat around in my host family’s kitchen eating soup and drinking wine. It was a really great time.

August 17, 2005
I just spent 3 days in Lima working on the PCV newsletter; we found the previous file corrupted, so that means we are starting from scratch. We’ll have to come back into Lima in a couple of weeks to finish it all up. I stayed with a really neat Embassy family. Having been PCVs in the Dominican Republic, they understood exactly the experience that I have here in Peru.

August 12, 2005
The trainees and I decided it would be nice to get out of Huaraz for a while, so we rented a taxi and drove up the Callejon (valley) to Carhuaz and Campo Santo. In Carhuaz, we sampled the famous ice cream. It does hold its own. It was very tasty, just like the homemade stuff I remember at home in Georgia. We visited Campo Santo, a site that is now essentially a grave yard in memory of the old town of Jungay that was totally destroyed by an earthquake and avalanche 30 years ago. They only thing that survived the natural disaster was the statue of Jesus and a church. You can see partial houses sticking out of the ground and demolished buses on their sides. Many families have placed markers of their lost ones; it has the most eerie feeling as you walk the grounds.

August 11, 2005
With my trainees, we headed to Canchacuta. Seems the community is getting used to gringos. I think the trainees had some problems with the altitude on the hike in and out of the community. We were lucky on our way out this time and found a car heading into Huaraz, so we had a relatively comfortable ride back into town.

August 10, 2005
I was up at 4:30 this morning to welcome the new trainees to Huaraz. There will be 9 new volunteers placed here in September and they’ve made their way here to see what being a volunteer in all about. I will have 2 trainees shadowing me for a couple of days.

August 4, 2005
I finally made it back to Huaraz all in one piece, with several mosquito bites and a pretty good tan. This was quite possibly the best vacation I have even taken.

August 1, 2005
Wanting to see what the region had to offer, we flagged down what we thought was a taxi in hopes of getting a ride to some waterfalls. What we found was a Lima guy on vacation who agreed to give us a ride if we could pick up his cousin (the local) first. The guys proved to be like all Peruvians and were full of questions and flirts for the girls.

We found the waterfalls to be spectacular. We even jumped from the cliff into the lagoon below. It felt like I reading some travel documentary, but in actuality it was me experiencing it all for myself. I had never imagined myself swimming in a river in the heart of the Amazon Jungle.

The Peruvians were pretty excited to show us more of Tarapoto, so we headed to a lake where we could relax in the water on old tire enter tubes, as monkeys and sloths hung out on the banks. I even jumped off of the old rickety wooden ‘diving’ board.

To finish off a spectacular day, we decided to see what the dance scenes had to offer. Meeting back up with our tour guides, we danced salsa and meringue until the wee hours.

July 31, 2005
We got a ride to Pedro Luis, 2 hours from Chachapoyas, where we found a taxi that would take us all the way to Moyabamba, 5 hours away. So, all 7 of us piled into a station wagon and entered the lushness of the Amazonian Jungle. Finally, we had found sweltering heat, greenery, and sunshine. In Moyabamba, we got on yet another bus, 3 hours this time to bring us to our final destination of Tarapoto.

Oh, Tarapoto, what a marvelous town! The streets were zooming with moto-taxis and motorcycles. All of the locals walked around in their shorts, tanks, and flip-flops. We settled into a cute little hostel and met up with some other PCVs that had taken the easy way to Tarapoto, a 24-hour-one-bus route. I still think our way had been much more fun.

July 30, 2005
Arrival in Tingo was at 3:00 am in the morning. We didn’t have a clue where to stay so we started out aimlessly down the dirt road. Finding a police station, the sleeping cop pointed us to a hostel. After pounding on the door for what I know was 30 minutes, the señora sleepily let us in and we found a bed, if not too clean nor warm, at least sleepable. All this commotion just to see the famous ruins of Kuelap. After 4 hours of sleep, we crawled out of the hostel to get a free ride (3 hour day bus) halfway up to Kuelap. We were let out at a cute little house and were welcomed in by a tobacco-chewing Virginian. Having worked supporting tourism in Kuelap during his summer breaks for over 30 years, he was a wealth of information. We hitchhiked the rest of the way by waving down a university group on tour from Chachapoyas. They were a whole lot of fun and we ended up staying with them for the rest of the day and trip. They even gave us a ride into the next city on our route, Chachapoyas. In Chachapoyas, again we crashed in a cheap hostel and had the best fried chicken I’ve found in Peru on a terrace restaurant just off the plaza.

July 29, 2005
We bussed another 22 hours to Tingo. What can I say? It was pretty miserable -- a tiny bus, lots of dust, from hot to cold, to cold to hot, filled with a hodgepodge of travelers. We had two flat tires along the way, but it was a nice break from the uncomfortable seats and we could stretch our legs. I slept, listened to music, and prayed the bus would stay on the donkey trail of a road. It might have been the best scenery of my life. You could see lush mountains and deep gorges that stretched into a horizon that looks like it could go on forever.

July 28, 2005
Seven of us in total, boarded a bus to Celedin (6 hour day bus) at 9:00 am. What an awful road! The driver even had to ask the local farmers for directions. The views were terrific.

Celedin was nice, quaint, and friendly. We had some pretty bad food and stayed in a sad, little hostel. There were fireworks in honor of Peru’s Independence Day. A bit dangerous, since they set them off so close to the crowds, but fun, and a different taste of life in the Andes Mountains. If I really sit and think about it, we are so far removed from life, as I usually know it. I am over 24 hours away from Lima, the closest city of “civilization”, and 8 more hours by plane, to my home country. This trip has certainly helped me to clear my mind of some of the negativity I had been picking up of late in Huaraz. It’s reminded me of some of the reasons I joined PC in the first place – to travel, to see the world, learn more about others. I am definitely doing that right now. It seems so surreal, when I think back to my life at home and what my friends and family are doing there. I am so far from their realities. It’s also been great for me to share stories with my travel mates as well. Even if we are from all over the states, I find we are really all cut from the same mold.

July 27, 2005
In Cajamarca, we have met up with several other PCVs. This is the first time I have traveled with this many people. I had forgotten how it can get hairy at times when you travel together. You see other’s quirks unlike you see them when you just hang out together.

I am definitely glad to be out of Huaraz. I had needed this break. It feels good to be traveling with just a backpack, not worried about appearance, cleanliness, just having a good time. I can’t believe I didn’t bring my hairdryer or makeup. I have one pair of shoes and one pair of flip-flops. I have to do this more – see more of what Peru really has to offer. It’s so easy to just go, to hop on a bus, to see something new.

I am always such a sucker for woven hand bags. I had to buy a couple and order a ‘special-made’ one to pick up tomorrow. They were great; shopping always makes me happy.

We went to the famous Baños del Inca just outside of Cajamarca this afternoon, the site where the Inca himself bathed centuries ago. It was a worthwhile experience. I bathed in natural hot springs that are channeled into to small, personal pools. I also treated myself to a half-hour massage. The baths are cool because you can see the water boiling right out of the ground at 71 degrees Celsius.

July 25, 2005
Today was the beginning of my much anticipated “Jungle Trip”. Two other PCVs and I traveled to Trujillo (an 8 hour night bus), since the next bus to Cajamarca wasn’t until later that night, we just hung out in town for the day. It was odd to be back in my old stomping grounds. I got that lonely/nervous feeling in my gut, the one I used to have daily and it was a good reminder that Huaraz is so much better for me. However, I have missed the amenities of the city, my bike club, my host family, and the grocery stores.

Ok, so now it’s time for another night bus to Cajamarca. We have 2 nights in a row on buses, no bathing. My clothes still look suitably clean.

New Look

2005-08-16T17:23:00.000-04:00

I have made some recent changes to the look of my blog. I hope you enjoy. Peace.

A True Adventure

2005-07-03T14:41:00.000-04:00

July 2, 2005
Last night was unexpectedly a lot of fun. I went to the orphanage as usual in the afternoon and found the oldest girls of the house fretting about what to wear to one of their friend's 15th birthday party. Turning 15 is no small feat for a teen here. Her Quinceañera is the equivalent of a coming out party and everyone attends dressed to the nines. So, I helped the girls decide on shoes and dresses and then before I knew it, they were sure I just had to go with them. I tried to dissuade them with my lack of proper attire, but Rosie, the oldest girl of the house, assured me if she went with me to my closet, she could find something appropriate. In my room, Rosie proposed that I wear a pair of red pants, my red knitted poncho, and black heels. Now, I would not have been caught dead in the States in this outfit for I felt like a she-devil headed to a prayer meeting, but here in Peru it did somehow seem appropriate.

Back at the house, I put all the girls' hair in up-does. Seems my long-lost hobby of doing hair was once again coming in handy. In all, I did 7 girls' hair and makeup, plus my own. Around 10:00, we were off. I succumbed to the girls' pressure of taking a taxi so we could all arrive in style. I guess we did make quite a stunning entrance to the party, an entourage of pretty, dark haired young ladies in long gowns and a tall Gringa dressed from head to toe in fire-engine red.

The church where the party was held was very prettily decorated with a big cake, flowers, and streamers. The girls giggled the entire night and worried over the boys, like in any culture, I presume. I actually met some new people, ate corn kernels and cheese on a toothpick, and found myself having a very delightful time.

July 1, 2005
I am trying to get back into the swing of things here in Huaraz after a weekend in Lima. I didn't do so much just finished up my cavity-filling fun, hung out with my boss a bit, and met the new group of trainees. It's so crazy to see how far I have come since my days in Santa Eulalia, when I was a scared to death novice. To think that I am considered a knowledgeable volunteer these days. It seems almost impossible that I have made it this far.

With only 10 months left in my service and many of my months filling up with activities it really makes me consider what I will get myself into after PC. I have been looking into English teaching programs in Spain . Looks like for free room and board you teach English for 3, 6, or 12 months to the children of a host family. You are guaranteed 3 days off a week. This seems like a good way for me to make it to Europe, work a bit, and travel a bit. After a couple of months in Europe , I will eventually make it home to the good ole USA for a career and graduate school.

I have a host-grandmother that lives here with us. She is the sweetest lady. It's interesting to me how she lives in a very modern house (by Peruvian standards) and still holds to some of her campo traditions. This morning, I saw her get a bucket full of cold water and go to the patio to wash her hair, face, and hands. It was like she was still in the countryside where sinks and showers didn't exist. She washed up, blew her nose into the suds on the ground, and dried with a scrap of material. I thought to myself that a sink and running water simply isn't reason enough to change what she has probably been doing for 70 years or more.

June 28, 2005
I read online at the White County News Telegraph (my hometown paper) an opinion piece about Mexicans that really struck a raw nerve. I felt it necessary to reply with an article of my own. I am sure it will probably ruffle some feathers and most won't agree, but I felt it was part of my responsibility as a PCV to share some of what I have learned abroad.

Here's what the article said -

Could it happen in other places? If you are ready for the adventure of a lifetime, try this.-Enter Mexico illegally. Never mind immigration quotas, visas, international law or any of that nonsense.
-Once there, demand that the local government provide free medical care for you and your entire family.
-Demand bilingual nurses and doctors.
-Demand free bilingual local government forms, bulletins, etc.
-Keep your American identity strong.
-Fly Old Glory from your rooftop or proudly display it in your front window or on your car bumper.
-Speak only English at home and in public and insist that your children do also.
-Demand classes in American culture in the Mexican school system.
-Demand a local Mexican driver's license. This will afford other legal rights and will go far to legitimize your unauthorized, illegal presence in Mexico.
-Drive around with no liability insurance and ignore local traffic laws.
-Insist that local Mexican law enforcement teach English to all its officers.Good luck. You will be demanding for the rest of your life because it will never happen. It will not happen in Mexico or any other country in the world except right here in the United States. Land of the naive.

Hopefully, my article will show up in the next edition in White Co. Here's what I replied –

A True Adventure

Over a year and a half ago, I chose an adventure to move to a different land, to learn about another people, and to challenge myself to grow as an individual. I joined the United States Peace Corps. I moved out of my apartment, resigned from my job, sold my car, packed two duffle bags, told my friends and family goodbye, and I moved south of the equator to Peru .

As a volunteer in the Youth Development sector of Peru's Peace Corps Program, I have had the opportunity to teach in small public schools in tiny rural towns where electricity and hot water are unheard of luxuries. I have worked in youth centers in large, urban cites where internet cafes and cell phones are used by most everyone. I have held sick, crying orphans while pressing cold rags to the fevered bodies when no medicine was available. I have mucked out a latrine to provide a healthier sanitation system to a community center. I have fed live stock and moved animals to grassier pastures. I have taught teenagers how to brush their teeth and the importance of personal cleanliness. I have walked through a garbage dump to the home of a grieving widow hoping to give solace and a little hope to her and her six malnourished children.

There have been days when I could not have imagined myself any where else in the world. There have been other days when I have just prayed for guidance and strength to complete my commitment to a community that doesn't seem to need or want my assistance. I carry a note in my journal that was given to me during my first week of service. I pull it out when I have had a particularly stressful day. The note, written in a child's unpracticed hand reads, "Please help me make my parents proud of me." Most days, it's enough to rekindle my motivation to serve.

Many people continue to ask me, "Why did you join the Peace Corps?" My answer doesn't change. I joined the Peace Corps to help others, to learn more about the world, and to better understand myself. What I have come to realize is that I will always be learning these lessons for rest of my life. Had I never decided to leave the safe surroundings of my home town in rural, northeast Georgia , I would never know what poverty, what riches, what lessons, what heartaches the world has to offer. I would never be able to appreciate the wealth of life that I have been able to enjoy as an American.

I entered Peru legally. I have my passport, visa, and green carnet that state my affiliation with the United States Embassy. Gaining the documents was relatively easy for me, as it is for any American citizen to travel. I simply filled out the necessary paper work, attached my birth certificate, paid the $60 application fee, and gave the packet to the clerk at the county court house. A month later I was ready to head to overseas.

For citizens of other countries, it's not as easy and simple. In fact, it is practically impossible to gain the proper documentation to travel unless you are a wealthy, influential citizen; even then it is hardly certain you will be granted permission. With the majority of the country's population being unemployed, living in poverty, making little to no money, a passport to travel is only a dream. Yet, that doesn't stop many people from seeking a better future in a different culture for their children.

As a person who sought for me a better future, as an alien in another country, I understand all too well the strife of foreigners that live in the United States . Even after becoming fluent in Spanish, being sensitive to cultural differences, and living in a community where I try everyday to integrate, I still feel as if I am an outsider. I believe that is something that never changes, no matter how long you reside in a place that is not your home.

On several occasions, I have had the unfortunate luck to become sick, ill from bacteria, parasites, or food contamination. I have found myself in the hospital, doctor's office, or at the dentist and what a relief it is to find a nurse or doctor that speaks my native language. There is just nothing like being sick and trying to think through the pain to a language that even after years of speaking fluently won't quite role off the tongue.

I may continue to live in Peru, I may choose to travel to other countries when I finish my service here, for whatever motive, if it's to visit, to work, or to make my home, I will always be an American in my heart. It's a sense of self and pride to hold strong to your personally allegiances.

I have a Peace Corps, an Old Glory, and the Peruvian flag proudly patched on the backpack I carry everywhere. I am guilty of speaking English when I am in my Peruvian host family's home. I talk to my parents and friends in English on crowded public pay phones. My Peace Corps volunteer friends visit and we sit around and chat in English. What's more, when I am with another English speaker, I speak English in the post office, in elevators, in stores, and in taxi cabs. I take the English tour or brochure when it's offered.
My hope in writing this article is to share some of the lessons I have learned by being a stranger in a foreign country. By being guilty of some of the same transgressions that anger those in my hometown, I hope to show the other side of the situation.

My goal is to share that tolerance and acceptance is something we should all strive to obtain in our lives. Just because someone is different from you, speaks an unusual language, or comes from another country doesn't mean they deserve to be disrespected. Many Peruvians could argue that the Peace Corps isn't needed or wanted in Peru . They could demand that I abandon my work or they could write weekly propaganda proclaiming the injustices done to the Peruvian people by foreigners.

So, I thank the Lord every time a Peruvian lends me a kind word or favor, offers me a meal, and opens the door, not only to their humble housing, but to their hearts.

If you are really ready for an adventure of a lifetime, befriend a foreigner, adopt an orphan from a poverty-stricken land, travel, sign up for a language class, or join the United States Peace Corps.

God Bless America, Land of the Free.

June 23, 2005
Today I got up early to go with my one of my counterparts to a small rural community called Canchacuta. We boarded the combi and followed a small dirt road for over two hours. Then we hiked another 45 minutes over rolling hills to a small collection of adobe, thatched-roof houses. Having come to teach the kindergarten class that my counterparts had formed, we were surprised when no children arrived to class. Thinking it was best to go door to door, searching for the students, I was certainly surprised when one brave man told us that the mothers are scared that I will steal the children. It seems that there is an old-wives tale that Gringos come from afar to abduct children from rural communities. Having never seen a fair-haired person before, they could only assume that I was there to take all the children away. My counterpart quickly explained that I was a new teacher and that I would be helping in the classes; for the mother's not to worry, that all of their children would return safely after school.

Rounding up all the students, we finally started class with around 12 little ones. One student even brought his pet lamb. Since most of the conversations were in Quechua, I understood little. We played the equivalent of duck-duck-goose, had a snack of bananas, and then settled into the lesson for the day. Very few of the children spoke to me, but all gave me curious stares. My counterpart told me after class that it is good for me to visit to quail some of their long held fears of foreigners.

As we were hiking out, a man with a bucket of yellowish liquid called to us from across the field. He wanted to invite us to drink some of his chicha, a sweet corn juice. A little apprehensive, my counterpart said we should visit so that we would be welcomed in the future. We ventured over and 10 or 12 other men swaddled over as well. They bombarded me with questions and I answered them all with ease, before we knew it, we were invited behind the house to meet the ladies. What a sight! As I rounded the home, I came upon 20 or more women dressed in their traditional finest. Huge skirts of brilliant colors, sweaters and blouses with elaborate embroidery, wide brim white hats decked in cloths to block the bright sunshine. All with toothless grins and smiling eyes. We were immediately welcomed and invited to sit in the soft grass with other community members. We had happened on a celebration for Dia del Campesino. We were handed huge portions of soup still boiling in their gourd bowls. Imagine their surprise, when I tore right into my portion of guinea pig complete with claws and eye balls. Which I found to be delicious! After I had taken a turn sitting by each little lady, eaten my fill, I left with a promise to return and learn the ways of their people. Which I fully intend to do.

June 19, 2005
Today is Father's Day and it has been a good day, even if a little bitter sweet because I wasn't with my real family in Georgia. I went this morning with my host mother to a small Christian church. It was an interesting experience. The service was in both Spanish and Quechua, but strangely reminded me of the services I attended so many years ago in at home at Bell Scene. We sang "Power in the Blood" in Spanish, then there was the Sunday School report, and messages from the Pastor before he started his sermon. He preached in both Quechua and Spanish, so at times I was a little lost but it was nice to able to worship in a way that was familiar to me.

The finest part of the experience was that I was able to meet a most peculiar woman. At 95 years old, she royally sat in her wheel chair in native dress. Her silver hair was articulately done in braids that circled her head. Imagine my surprise, when she spoke to me in American English. Having been born to American missionaries living in Ecuador, she has spent the majority of her life in South America. Married to a Peruvian, with four children, she has called Peru home since 1928. She was excited to see me, a fellow American, and entertained me with stories of wars, earthquakes, and life in small Quechua communities.

June 16, 2005
I have spent a week in Lima with the rest of my Peru 3 group for our Mid-service medical exams. I have been fortunate to be a guest at the Ambassador's Residence, the local equivalent of the White House. Seems that the Ambassador wanted to also host a PCV during a visit to Lima and I was the lucky one chosen to be the first. The residence itself was spectacular and surrounded on all sides by Secret Service and Peruvian security. I was welcomed in by the 16 year old son, Peter, and was given the grand tour. Mrs. Bush, the First Lady, had just stayed in the VIP Suite a couple of weeks before my visit, complete with a personal office, kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bed room. Since I lack such political power, I was put in the last bedroom down the last hall way. Decked out in pink and flowers, definitely a girly room, I enjoyed a private bathroom and sitting area. It was quite exciting when I figured out that I could call the kitchen from the phone on my bedside table and they would bring me most anything. My food would arrive by way of a butler clad in a black and white tux. He would sit the tray on the bed or the table, wherever I preferred. The tray was finished with a personal silver carafe of coffee, Splenda in a crystal bowl, and my food on a plate embossed with the United States Emblem with a periphery of gold stars. I was able to converse with the family, use Internet, and watch TV (satellite channels straight from the USA) in their personal quarters upstairs. Downstairs beheld the George Washington Room with a painting of his likeness, a library filled with Pre-Incan artifacts, the formal dining room with chairs fit for kings, and a patio and pool area that boasted two pet rabbits.

May 23, 2005
I am definitely staying busy here. I think I could spend every waking hour at the orphanage and I would never get bored nor would all the work get done. Kanela as well is having a ball with the kids. I think her first day with all 25 kids was a bit overwhelming, but now she is just another part of the orphanage community.

Last Saturday, I undertook co-responsibility for taking the kids to the circus. Boy, what a day.

May 17, 2005
Yesterday was my first official day of work. Around 11:00 a.m. I started out by going to the comedor or community kitchen that is supported by the Rainbow House Association. It is located just a few blocks from my house inside the Christian Alliance Church. There I found three women preparing the day's lunch, in a comfortable lengthy way, they chopped cabbage for the salad and added potatoes to the beef stew. And like most moms, they were discussing issues they were having with their children. They welcomed me, gave me a chair, and I asked a few questions of my own. Around 12:30 children of the city started trickling in for their meal. All of the children are street workers: shoe shiners, vendors, or beggars. Most were dirty and unkempt but all had a huge smile on their face. A few mothers brought in babies and toddlers for what is probably the only meal they will receive for the day. I got the usual questions from the children. Are your eyes real? Do you dye your hair? How did you learn to speak Spanish? I noticed that not one crumb was left on the plates of the children. Most of them said a prayer before they started to eat, all had good table manners, and ate quietly. With a "See you tomorrow", they went back to work on the streets of Huaraz.

I had lunch at a Chinese Restaurant, chicken with vegetables. I then headed back to my house to chill out for about an hour. Kanela is doing well here. She was fast friends with the other dog in the house and is able to step right out the front door to do her business.

Around 5:00, I headed up the hill to the Rainbow House. I could hear the children making racket from outside the gate. I was welcomed in by a harried house mother and was immediately invited to sit at a table with two little girls. They were practicing reading aloud; I just stepped right in as tutor and helped with their pronunciation. The children are on a tight routine, they do the same things every single day. At 5:30, bath time and all the kids returned to the living room in their sweet-smelling clean pajamas. Some of the girls needed their hair combed and the rest settled in on the wrap- around couch for an hour of TV. I settled myself down with 3 toddlers, one on each leg and the other tucked under my arm. I noticed immediately, that although the kids have many creature comforts like a nice home, clean clothes, hot water, healthy food, they are starved for love and attention. The house mother is so busy taking care of the basics, like washing clothes, cleaning rooms, preparing food, that it's difficult for her to sit and chat or hug all of the children. All of the children at one time or another climbed up on my lap or gave me a hug.

There are two small babies in the home. I picked up the four month old from his cradle and the house mother warned me not to hold him for long because 'he will get used to it'. I was a little startled by her declaration. She said that it would be soon anyway that the babies would be adopted. Having studied a bit of psychology, I know that holding a baby is integral for proper development. If a child isn't held and nurtured, many problems can ensue. So, I held the baby for a couple of minutes then returned him to his cradle. In my mind, I rationalized that the house mother can't spend all of her time holding and caring for two babies, when there are 23 other mouths to feed. It's in my heart to incorporate a better system for the babies.

Dinnertime started around 7:30 and the children were served a sort of porridge with a piece of bread. The smallest toddlers were given a sippy cup but all had to feed themselves. I took pity on one little girl that was struggling with her spoon and helped her eat. She ate every drop without a whimper. I thought of all the two year olds I know at home in the states that fuss and complain about eating or make a mess in their chairs. In this house, they have never heard of the 'terrible twos' time period for children.

After dinner, everyone ran up the stairs to brush their teeth. I helped the smallest ones with their brushing and rinsing. Then it was back downstairs to the living room for the nightly prayer and devotional. The house mother chose four children to pray and we all bowed our heads. We sang three songs then it was off to bed and to sleep. I gave and received hugs and kisses and headed home.

Some of the things I noticed about the Rainbow House is how the oldest ones (from necessity) take care of the younger ones. For example, there are 8-year-olds changing diapers and 13-year-olds holding crying 8-year-olds. The children have to fend well for themselves and for the other children in the house.

May 4, 2005
Boy, what a day! I arrived to Huaraz around 6:45 a.m. this morning and was so wired that I couldn't sleep. I just couldn't wait to find my new host family and counter part. I met my APCD for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and she put me in charge of finding me a place to live here in the city. I don't even know a thing about the city, much less where to look for a place to live. So, I just headed to down town and asked random people on the street. They suggested I look at the advisory wall. There is a section of the wall in down town where everyone just tapes up hand-written notices. Some are for employment and a few were for room rentals. Not knowing any street names, I just thought I would set out. I soon encountered a few houses that had a sign in the window saying they rented rooms, but no luck. Along the way, I couldn't help but take in all the sights, smells, and sounds of my new home. The majority of the people was speaking Quechua and was dressed in very traditionally clothing -- brightly colored skirts, hand woven sweaters, and white straw hats were everywhere. I made it to an old hostel that had been turned into something of a boarding house. They didn't have anything that I considered appropriate, but the daughter of the family (around my age) said she would show me some places that she knows about. She ended up showing me around town for 2 hours and we finally found the perfect home. It's a two story house, just off the main plaza. I have my own entrance to my room from the road, my own bathroom with hot water, and a small patio. The lady of the house was so sweet! She said I could use the kitchen and the house as if it were my own. They even have a refrigerator and a microwave. The best part is they have a little dog named Lucky and Kanela is welcome too! I couldn't believe my luck. A great place to live, a really sweet family, in a nice part of town, and at a cheap price – all found by me within my first day in my new site.

Huaraz feels a lot different than Trujillo. In Huaraz, the people seem more trusting and genuine. In Trujillo , the people seemed jaded. It's also a lot smaller. I walked from one end of town to the other and that would have been only the distance to the market in Trujillo. I can't wait to get my bike and explore the city even more. I am hoping that I can ride to visit volunteers who live relatively close to Huaraz. There are around 25 volunteers in this area.

Tomorrow we visit an orphanage, translated The Rainbow House in English, for a possible work site and countepart. Such a coincidence, I worked with a shelter in Dahlonega with the same name. I think it's a sign. I hope everything works out. I need a good job to do here.

Site Change

2005-05-02T20:28:00.000-04:00

May 2, 2005
So, I am hanging back out in Lima. I just got back from Trujillo where I moved 17 bags to Huaraz via bus. Now, now… I know that sounds like a lot but the PC Coordinator from Cajamarca said to just send it all, so I did. I even sent my new bike. It was a bit difficult to go back to Trujillo. Since the YMCA hadn’t heard from us in weeks, they were eagerly waiting official information. I gave my new boss the official El Milagro tour, complete with sites of the landfill, jail, and latrines way passed being over-filled. Since, I had to leave little Kanela in the hands of two friends, I am going to pick her up and return to finish saying goodbye once I get settled in my new site.

I have been crocheting. I have completed 3 scarves, 1 hat, and a table-runner (shawl gone wrong!). I just bought green yarn for a blanket. I find such joy in actually making articles to wear and use with my own hands. It’s extremely therapeutic and relieves stress as well.

I head to Huaraz tomorrow night to meet my new Peace Corps destiny.

April 24, 2005
I have spent the entire day hanging out with my new APCD and site mate in Lima. We got up late and cooked an elaborate breakfast of French toast, cantaloupe, and coffee. We discussed our hopes for our new sites. I see myself helping CARE by working in the office in Huaraz a couple of days a week, then finding other children’s activities (orphanages, clubs, schools) on my own the other couple of days a week. I can tell that we are opening up more and more with our APCD and her with us. I admitted to being the ‘high-maintenance’ one of the group. I like my shopping, pedicures, and imported products as frequently as possible. If there is a modern convenience available, I will take it. Our APCD, a very positive individual, has filled her new space with optimistic energy cards and photos of her family and she loves to sing.

In the afternoon, we took a taxi a few blocks downtown where we encountered this crazy little park, a miniature Six Flags. It was complete with a tiny train where you could ride to see the whole park. I got a 10 minute massage while they ate desserts. We finally got around to heading to the grocery store around 2:00 to buy some needed household supplies.

For dinner, we had a huge salad (lettuce and all the veggies you could imagine) and spaghetti with meat sauce. My site mate impressed us by making a sweet-potato pie from scratch. With our bellies full, we watched the end of Star Wars, dubbed in Spanish, on TV.

The last couple of days have been just like today – lots of food, conversation, and relaxation. It has been a great respite from the stressors of volunteer life.

April 21, 2005
I made it to Lima super-early this morning. I went directly to my new APCD’s house and she made us a great breakfast of omelets and yogurt. Then she pretty much dropped the bomb – big changes in Trujillo. They are moving us?! The results from the investigation proved what we have known all along, Trujillo (especially our sites) are too dangerous for volunteers. My site mate and I will be moved to Ancash, a rural mountainous town about 8 hours by bus from Trujillo. She said we would be working with CARE, an NGO, and living about 45 minutes outside of the city of Huaraz. There are around 30 volunteers serving in Ancash, big change from my being one of two in Trujillo.

At the Peace Corps Office, my site mate and I was the subject of many meetings. We learned that we would stay in Lima until next Wednesday, then go to Trujillo for our things on Thursday, head back to Lima on Friday, then by the next week be in our new sites, where ever those are. Site development for our communities has yet to be done. In fact, my APCD is open to ideas and has encouraged me to investigate further options for me in these towns near Huaraz. I have been on the phone all day talking with volunteers in that area to see what they think of the areas. A couple of the volunteers say working with CARE is unstructured at best and the sites are very rural – latrines and conservative Indian villages. My hope is to actually be placed inside the capital city, Huaraz. I can work with CARE in their regional office, visit the small villages with other CARE workers, but have the luxuries a city can provide – hot water and internet.

April 20, 2005
I woke up this morning to “Meez Leez” wafting up to my window. The calling of my name came from my host mother downstairs alerting me to a visitor. She is so cute because she uses the English title “Miss” with my Peruvian nickname “Liz” and it comes out rhyming. My visitor was the president of the bike club wanting my signature on a document that we are presenting to the municipality to formalize the new club. They have wanted me to be on the executive board of the club, I am hoping it is just for a little added influence and not for what they think they might can receive monetarily. I satisfy my preoccupation with the fact that I can deal with it, if and when, that problem arises. For now, I enjoy being a part of the group and riding on Sundays.

I stopped by a new gym to get their prices, pretty cheap for a month, only 60 soles.

I leave for Lima at 10:00 p.m.

April 19, 2005
Now it’s time for damage control. I had to come back to Trujillo for a meeting with a Peace Corps guy who was coming to investigate my site mate’s community and to do a workshop with other volunteers in El Milagro. Also, I was able to carry Nela with me to Cajamarca (she was a little angel on the bus!) but wouldn’t be able to take her with me to Lima per Peace Corps regulations.

At work, everyone had a ton of questions about the robbery, our vacation, and what is really going on. I explained the best I could, getting upset yet again, and told them I would be going to Lima for further conversations with Peace Corps. The workshop with the kiddies went well; that’s something positive.

After I leave work, YMCA Director calls me to demand why someone from Peace Corps is in my site mate’s room and wants to hear something from Peace Corps Lima immediately. So, I call an APCD to request that they call the director and explain what is going on – I really didn’t know either. I happen to run into my director a little later in town where she gives me an earful - I find many of the things that she says are completely true. She feels, since January, communication with Peace Corps has conked out. That the least she can do as our counterpart is help in situations like an assault/robbery but she has to be informed first. I told her that our new APCD had just arrived this week and from now on I feel that things will get better. I hope so, for both of our sakes.

My meeting with the Peace Corps dude was cancelled. He says he has meetings scheduled and won’t be able to meet with me like earlier planned. I was super curious what he had found out about my site mate’s community (not my business, really) but was hoping to hear something anyway. I will have to wait until I get to Lima.

April 18, 2005
It has been a strange couple of days.

To recap on what has been going on, I took a quick little vacation over the weekend (with permission from Peace Corps of course) to Cajamarca to clear my mind of some things going on in my site. I have been pretty bummed out of late and it is slowing entering my consciousness what is actually happening. It is so strange how your mind and body can block from you what is really happening and you can’t identify what is really the source of your stress. I have just been super depressed lately and unable to identify the real source of it all. I have been thinking that the main problem is that I don’t have any other volunteers close to my site for me to visit. I have to ask permission every time I want to leave and to me that doesn’t seem fair when other volunteers are in clusters of 20-30 volunteers and can see their friends whenever they want. So, I ventured to Cajamarca and I hung with other volunteers and you know what I realize? They are feeling the same way as me – bummed out, depressed, unenergetic, unmotivated to start new projects, etc., etc. It was almost eerie to hear the similarities in our situations. And they are wishing that they didn’t have so many volunteers around, that every time they go to the post office they run into another volunteer, in every restaurant, all over town, there are tons of volunteers. So, it seems that the other side of the river isn’t as green as I thought it was…

Another facet to the vacation to Cajamarca has to do with my site mate. Last Sunday, she was robbed and assaulted a block from her house. It was around midnight and she was returning from visiting with me. She says these two known trouble-makers were hanging out on her corner and two watchmen were chilling on the other. What a surprise when the two troublemakers start to harass her, grab her bags while punching and kicking her, and throw her to the ground. She says she screamed and screamed but nobody helped her. The watchmen later stated they were also threatened with a knife and were afraid to help her. After her report to Peace Corps, they sent her on a mandatory vacation in order to investigate the situation. So, we both headed to Cajamarca to think and get our heads straightened out.

I was relaxing in my hostel room in Cajamarca and I received a phone call from my new boss in Lima, the new APCD. She is just starting her first day as the new director of our Young Development Project. We have been without an APCD since January; our previous boss (who rocked!) left for a better PC job in another country. She is surprised to find me in Cajamarca, in fact, seems angry with me. After we hang up, I am shocked! I am supposed to be chilling out, getting my head in gear, strengthening my emotional health (on the advice of PC) and my new boss calls to demand why I am out of my site. Where is this supportive Peace Corps environment that they like to brag about? So, I call the secretary at Peace Corps (she had set up my plans to leave) crying because at this point tiny things are throwing me for loops. She explains that my APCD had not read her email from the weekend where it explains that I have permission to be in Cajamarca. She makes me feel better and we ended up talking for a half hour; she is a life-saver.

My APCD called back and explains better what happened – my YMCA Director in Trujillo had called Peace Corps and demanded to know why my site mate and I were getting switched to work in Cajamarca. Unfortunately, she hadn’t heard about my site mate’s robbery/assault, so that doubly complicated the situation. We thought we had sufficiently alerted our counterparts by telling our work centers that we were traveling to Cajamarca because of Peace Corps instructions. Seems the grapevine began to work and our big boss concluded that we were never coming back?! As my APCD is explaining all this, I get angry. I haven’t heard a thing from Peace Corps about my site and/or my work in months, like nobody gives a rip until forced to deal with it – a call from a big-wig Peruvian counterpart. So, I spill the beans, so to speak, and tell her how abandoned, isolated I have felt in my site. I have written emails to Peace Corps but receive answers that don’t make sense because the people there have never visited El Milagro and don’t understand the reality of what I do in Trujillo. That the huge gap in communication and neglect, coupled with isolation from other volunteers has put a toll on me and I need some support. I am tired of swimming solo. She suggests a meeting with my site mate and me in Lima on Thursday where we will discuss everything with the country director of Peace Corps as well.

So, all and all I felt better after the call from my APCD. I said things to her that I didn’t even realize I was feeling, like my head had been blocking what my gut had been trying to tell me for months. I find that I take my stress out on things that are not really the source of my anxiety and it all gets confused in my head. Oh, the things I keep learning about myself!

April 13, 2005
I stayed up till 2:00 am last night just bumming around my room, so I slept till almost noon today. After some coffee, I went for a bike ride around town. You know, all the ridiculous cat calls make me want to punch something. Here I am, unbathed, hair in a ponytail, sweating my head off, and some old Peruvian guys calls out from the corner, “Oh, my God!”, in English. Why can’t they just leave me alone? I am not bothering them; they could have the same respect.

I spent a couple of hours in the internet cabina working on some things for work. I have been designated the official volunteer organizer for YMCA – El Milagro and Otra Cosa. We have 2 German volunteers, 2 Holland volunteers, and one from Switzerland – we have grown! We’ve come to the conclusion that we need meetings, contracts, and obligations for the volunteers. So, I have been busy getting all the documents together. Tomorrow, we meet for the first time here at my house.

My laptop is on the blink – a big virus. It won’t allow me to get online, says there is a connection, but no pages open. I have downloaded four new antiviruses, but nothing is helping.

April 5, 2005
Today has been trying, mentally at least. We started the PDM workshop in Huaraz. It’s all group work, with as much experience as I have had working in groups, I still am becoming somewhat exasperated with mine. It seems that a couple of our members are always right, that all themes point to them and their work. I am comforting myself with the knowledge that my presence and subtlety is helping to point to everyone’s importance and worthiness.

Speaking with others from my training group here, it seems we are all feeling the same way about our service to this point. We are full of negatively and boredom. ‘What the heck are we doing here?’ is a common question.

April 2, 2005
Wow. I haven’t journaled in nearly a month. I have got to improve. Let’s see if I can catch up on these last week’s events.

I headed to Lima on the 15th for a couple of reasons. One was to give a presentation to big-wigs from the United States Embassy. I prepared a PowerPoint and (although I am sure I had grammatical errors) gave the entire thing in Spanish with no cue cards. I have to say -- I did well too! Like Dolly Partin always says, “You gotta toot your own horn, so everybody will know you’re coming.”

I also had to attend the Volunteer Advisory Committee meeting. It was interesting to finally meet some of the new faces in the Peace Corps office and hear their opinions about what is going on with Peace Corps Peru. Of course, I had the opportunity to meet up with other volunteers and just chill in the capital city. We ate in ritzy restaurants and enjoyed the night life.

As well, I was able to visit the YMCA programs there. I went to a Health campaign in a poor part of town and kinda served as medical receptionist for the morning. I found many similarities to El Milagro there: extreme poverty, no water, no electricity, no sewage, and trash littering the streets and in between houses. I also went to two youth group meetings with a group of German YMCA volunteers. It was really cool how they let the groups lead themselves instead of facilitating the meeting. Their positive morale and enthusiasm was very contagious.

On the 22nd, I picked my mom up at the airport at 1:45 am. What a crazy feeling to actually have Mom here in Peru with me. (Check back for Mom's journal entries of our times together in Peru -- to be added here soon!)

Cycling meets Recycling

2005-03-12T14:25:00.000-05:00

March 11, 2005
Well, I am definitely a spoiled Peace Corps city girl. I just got internet in my room, or at least part time. My host brother has a ‘pirated’ internet line in his accountant’s office and has put a connection into my room. Granted it’s not 24/7 and I have to wait until the office is closed to use the internet, but I am in heaven. The world at my fingertips!

March 9, 2005
My counterpart and I spent 4 solid hours doing inventory of all the medicines left by the missionaries. Oh the great projects we can do!

I went to El Milagro in the afternoon, a bit nervous about being the only YMCA personnel present. I had been the only person in the center before but of late my counterparts have been giving me this responsibility more and more, especially in the afternoons. I realized the growth I had made in the time I have been here. My counterparts trust me to open the center, give classes, help the families that stop in, and then close the center for the day. I remember being scared to walk down the street at first, much less confidant enough to hear the problems of one of our mothers or lead a group of kids in their activities. The families see me as a knowledgeable and responsible worker of the center and (finally) I do too.

March 6, 2005
I tested my limits again today with a bike ride around town, to Buenos Aires, then to Huanchaco, around 49 kilometers in all. That’s about 30 miles! My tale was numb by kilometer 10, which I have learned is the secret to getting used to the bike seat. You just lose feeling and don’t worry about it.

March 5, 2005
Looks like I can make my new cycling hobby into a Peace Corps project. Great news for me because I am really enjoying this new activity where I can meet lots of people and get some great exercise. Lucho had organized a kid’s race at a new park in town and he needed my help to assist in the race events. I was in charge of assigning numbers to each of the kids that were going to race and making sure everyone was in their correct category. About 40 kids showed up for the event.

March 4, 2005
Feeling a little blue, I decided to get dressed and head into downtown for lunch at one of the fancy cafes. While I was enjoying my meal, a guy (obviously American) asked me if he could share my table. What a coincidence – he was also from Georgia and a cyclist. We made plans to meet back up later and go to the Lucho’s bike shop.

I made it to El Milagro in the afternoon to have an English class with the other German volunteer. We had decided to do a class on fruit and brought actual fruit to help with the lesson. The kids really seemed to enjoy it all and learned some new vocabulary words as well. At the end, we surprised them with a watermelon eating contest.

I met back up with the Georgian and we ventured to Lucho’s. As usual, present were a motley group of people: a couple from Belgium, several Peruvians, and the crazy French guy. We made plans to help out with a children’s bike ride on the next day. We ventured to my favorite chicken place for dinner and enjoyed talk of the South and some great sangria.

March 2, 2005
During our home visits in El Milagro today, we came across the wake of one of the murdered victims. The ladies there were proclaiming innocent, the victim of the gangs violence. My counterpart insisted he had to be involved if he was associated with the gangs. It still made me nervous to know that such violence had occurred so close to where I work everyday.

March 1, 2005
I received a disturbing phone call from my Peace Corps boss today. He wanted to know about 8 murders that had taken place in La Esperanza on Sunday. My site mate lives in La Esperanza, but I hadn’t heard anything about any murders. When I got to work in El Milagro, I asked my counterparts about the murders and they said one of them had in fact happened right outside our center at 2:00 pm on Sunday afternoon. That gang members from La Esperanza had come to El Milagro to kill someone from the prison. Supposedly, four innocent people were killed in the violence of the weekend. Many of my kiddies said they had seen the body. They even took me outside to see the blood stains on the road and on the walls. It was pretty scary and it made me worry about my own personal safety. I called Peace Corps with the additional news but they just told me to be on alert, like I could predict when a shoot out was about to begin!

February 28, 2005
Today was my day to catch up on sleep, straighten up a bit, and take Nela to get her vaccinations. I have had a busy last couple of days.

Last Monday, I received an email from the Peace Corps Director saying that there will be a group of American doctors in Trujillo and they needed a translator. Definitely intrigued, I stopped by their hotel (which just happened to be about 5 blocks from my house) on Tuesday and spoke with the man-in-charge’s wife. By Wednesday, I had heard back from them and planned to start an early day with the group on Friday. I arrived at 7:00 am, not sure what to expect, and found 65 people eating a vegan-approved breakfast, readying themselves to board a huge passenger bus. After a few introductions the director of the group told me I would be helping out in the clinic. On the hour bus ride to Casa Grande, I discovered it was not only a medical effort, but a mission group, in conjunction with a construction crew. At the clinic (a public hospital that has long since lost its funding), I was put in charge of organizing the mob waiting to see the doctors and answering general questions. I found that most of the Peruvian people appeared to be in generally good health, but anxious to see the American doctors. In appearance and by local standards many of the people in attendance did not seem to be in poverty. The doctors weren’t concerned; they wanted to offer free medical services to everybody in the community regardless of status. There was also a dental clinic and pharmacy.

I was able to volunteer and help a doctor assist a particular old woman of nose cancer. He wants to foot the entire bill for her to see a specialist/plastic surgeon to have the area treated. I told them both I could coordinate her treatment and payment of the services. The little old lady just cried in my arms as she was leaving.

We finished up the day at the clinic and headed to the church construction site. The crew had built a new church and playground for the community. Along the front wall of the only just constructed church flew the Peruvian and American flags. To see the red, white, and blue symbol almost brought tears to my eyes. In a community that needed so much, it made me newly appreciative and so proud for all that I have.

It was quite amazing to see what the construction crew had completed in just 2 weeks. There was already a multitude outside the church and the community members were approaching in groves. We entered the church and were immediately locked in; it was a weird feeling, almost like lab rats on display, as all the townspeople peered in from the metal grates on the windows. The mission group then organized a give-away of toys, toothbrushes, and various supplies. The townspeople filed through the church to collect the gifts in what looked to me in an orderly fashion. Accounts from some of the volunteers outside said it was a lot more chaotic.

The mayor was in attendance and made a speech of thanks for all the volunteers had done. There was also a band and a TV crew. We were served bottled Cokes then sent on our way. The send-off almost felt like we were famous, with waves, screams, kids jumping and moto-taxis running after the bus until we made our way out of town.

When we got back to the hotel, I was invited to dinner and was once again treated to a no meat product meal and I have to admit it was all very tasty. I then had the opportunity to chat more with the members of the group. One of the teenagers said she knew I was a Peace Corps Volunteer when she saw me, that there is a certain look to a volunteer. What is that supposed to mean? I found that most had traveled abroad before and had a consciousness about life in third world countries and in my opinion with their hearts in the right place. I stayed for a worship service and only then discovered it was a Seven Day Adventist Mission group. A little surprised that I knew several of the hymns sung, I was asked if I had anything to contribute. I told the group it had been a wonderful day and I had been so blessed; it was so true. I had so enjoyed getting to know this group from my country, helping others, and worshiping God. I realized quickly that it’s not the denomination of the church but the common belief in God that is important.

I really clicked with one of the medical workers, a physician assistant. We exchanged stories of living in Mexico and Latin American life. She was there with her oldest daughter, who would be traveling to Chile from Lima to do a study abroad semester. She was intrigued by my stories of El Milagro and immediately began her own personal campaign to have all the left over medicines and supplies be donated to me and my site.

On Saturday, I hung with some of the women by the hotel pool. It was a great day to just be with people of my own culture and language. Nela was a big hit as well. Later that night, I gave a photo presentation of El Milagro to the entire group and was a little amazed at the complete attention they gave me and the onslaught of questions. After a year of working in El Milagro, I think I have become a bit jaded to the reality of the situation. Extremely stirred, many of them gave money and said to put it toward the community. I ended up with somewhere around 700 soles and the promise of leftover supplies.

I showed up on Sunday morning to the stir of everyone getting ready to leave for Machu Picchu. I couldn’t believe the amount of stuff they were giving me! It filled the entire bed of a truck – fruit, vegetables, bread, medicine, toothbrushes, clothes and more. One guy even gave me a sack of new, clean towels that he said to keep for myself. It was tearful as I stood on the sidewalk and waved goodbye to the group. In a very short time, I felt I had grown close to several of them and would definitely hate to see them go.

Since YMCA had scheduled a field trip with the families of El Milagro for the afternoon, I was immediately able to give our families the perishable food from the mission group.

February 21, 2005
I have been slacking in my journaling. Over two weeks have gone by with no written documentation about my experiences here in loco Trujillo. How to sum it all up? I continue to run each morning, 6 days a week, 2-3 miles. I love my puppy, Nela, even if I feel like all I do is clean up after her. My work continues to be satisfying, if a little monotonous. With earring making and English classes, I have managed to keep a pretty consistent schedule. When I get bored, I head to the beach and visit my Holland friends, shop around downtown, or watch a movie at the cinema.

Yesterday can be marked as one of the best days of my life. I speak the truth. I hope to give it justice as I describe the extraordinary yet strangely ordinary events. It actually began two nights ago, when I responded to a request to visit an Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who had made her way back to Latin America and to Trujillo on her bicycle from Alaska, an 8 month cycling endeavor. She was staying in town with a bike repairman and his family. When I entered the bike shop (in a very shady part of Trujillo), I found a home in chaos. Several young guys were messing with a couple of bikes, a somewhat loco European was mumbling on the couch, a little girl grabbed Nela from my arms and ran off, and 2 men kissed my cheek and told me to have a seat (in English) along side two Brazilians. I was immediately welcomed by the senora of the house with warm hugs and a piece of Tres Leches cake. They didn’t even know my name or why I was there! After inquiring about my friend, they said she had gone grocery shopping, but would return soon. Thinking I could wait for a while, I was introduced to two Australian guys where I immediately fell in love – their accents are absolutely heart-swooning. Next I met two Americans who looked to have fallen out of a dumpster. Absolutely filthy, with tattoos, chains, and holes the size of half dollars in their ears, they were a bit intimidating and the traveling companions of my RPCV friend. The Brazilians were a bit daunting as well with their questions in a mix of English and accented Spanish, but the owner and his family couldn’t have been sweeter people. They open the doors of their home to passing-through cyclists. Anyone can just camp out on the floor; use the kitchen, shower, or chill out. They have scrap books filled to the brim with photos and notes from previous guests. After waiting for half an hour and my friend not appearing, I decided to head out, but not before I was invited to bike with the crowd to Huanchaco on the following day. Making sure they knew I hadn’t been on a bike since I was 12 and had no experience what-so-ever in cycling, they assured me it was a casual ride and to show up in shorts and they would provide the rest.

I showed up at 10:00 am the next morning, ready to ride. I was a little surprised to see the amount of people that would be going with us. I was given a bike and helmet as the others decked themselves out in all their cycling gear. It looked like they were preparing for the Tour de France. After some typical Peruvian lazing around, we finally headed out. My bike was comfortable and I just prayed not to wreck or something else as dreadfully embarrassing. I was the only novice in the group. After a few kilometers, I realized we were not heading toward the beach but toward the mountains of La Libertad. Someone happened to call out that the plans had changed and we would be heading northeast. Great, what have I gotten myself into! 21 kilometers (about 13 miles) later, I had found out. Muscles I didn’t even know existed in my back were hurting, nothing could compare to the pain in my ‘rear’ area, not to mention that a couple of fingers on my left hand were numb. We had completed the 21 kilometers without stopping and it took us almost two hours. Several of us rested at a little restaurant on the side of the road, while a few of the more seasoned cyclists traveled on up the road. I felt good! I had just biked along with ‘professional’ cyclists and held my own. I want my own bike and told Lucho, the owner, my thoughts. He assured me he could hook me up. This is so fun.

Dreading the descent a bit, I was even more discouraged to hear that we had a headwind. Not really understanding what that meant, I quickly realized it is when the wind is coming into your face and makes you feel as if you’re peddling for absolutely nothing and traveling backwards. My volunteer was a real trooper and helped me by giving me advice how to relieve a bit the ache in my tail while also dealing with the wind. When another girl got a flat tire and we had to stop, I couldn’t have been more relieved. I was a dead woman barely standing, just praying to God to give me the strength to finish. You have never been a quitter, I told myself and would make it back to Trujillo if it killed me. And you know what? I made it! I cruised back into Trujillo around 4:00 pm with the knowledge I had just biked 42 kilometers (about 26 miles) and lived to tell about it.

After we got back, Lucho told me he was impressed that I made it. Everyone was asking me how I felt and I rambled off the various aches and they all laughed in memory of their own pains.

Plans were then made for later in the evening to celebrate one of the American guys 21st birthday. My volunteer friend and the two American guys were interested in seeing El Milagro, so we headed to the landfill. Not the least bit intimidated, the guys said they like trash and that they had even slept in a dumpster. They were definitely going to fit in with their dirty clothes and smelly bodies!

This visit to the actual landfill became the best I have had so far. I experienced a moment as I walked into the trash to great one of my mothers where I realized I had grown as a person -- the trash didn’t gross me out as it did before. I could actually grasp how the families worked there. I could truly imagine having to do it myself if push came to shove. I would never want to HAVE TO, of course, but I knew I could. Nine months ago, I remember only wanting to put the thoughts of the landfill and what the families do there to the farthest part of my memory and continue on with my life outside of the reality of El Milagro. We talked with some of the families at work and chatted with a couple of kids I knew who were playing along side the road. My volunteer friend asked me if it bothered me to get kisses from the kids. Her question surprised me. I hadn’t even thought about it. It hadn’t bothered me a bit to hold, hug, or kiss any of the little kiddies there. In fact, it made me feel loved and welcome to hold the hand of the lady working in the trash as we conversed. I remember a time when it did bother me, when I was so worried about lice, sickness, and danger, that I cried myself to sleep.

We continued our descent from the landfill and ended up taking photos and talking with various families along the way. The kids were amazed at the bicycle trip my visitors had undertaken, but I think the holes in their ears impressed them more. I was happy to share with these 3 Americans the reality of El Milagro that so many individuals do not know exists, but what made me even happier was the way these particular Americans played and talked with my families, with respect and affection.

After a trip to the supermarket, we split out ways and I promised to make it back to the bike shop for the birthday party. I found my apartment in disarray from little Nela who had stayed by herself all day. She was so excited to see her mom! After a walk with her, dinner, and a shower, I didn’t think my body was going to be able to make it back out. Shooting down a cup of coffee, I made my way back to the bike shop to find it blaring with 80’s music and the occasional salsa. Speakers taller than me were rocking the place and as usual it was mad chaos. We ate dinner and danced until midnight (I think my salsa/meringue has improved!); then we sang Happy Birthday and cut the homemade chocolate cake that everyone just dug into with their hands. I made it home by 3:30 am to wake up at 4:30 with the worst cramps in both my arms and legs. Three Tylenols later as I curled up beside Nela, I realized my left hand was still numb and I had just had the utmost greatest day.

February 3, 2005
I continue to do my daily running, I have made it to the 3 mile a day mark, but today I only ran 2. Later this afternoon, I had somewhat of an epiphany. I am the healthiest that I have ever been in my life, I think. I exercise daily, including walking wherever I need to go. I eat organic, fresh, unprocessed food that includes lots of fruits and vegetables. I drink very little caffeine, but drink lots of water. I have time for hobbies that I have long forgotten. Spiritually, I have never been this close to God. I have a great sense of self. I don’t smoke and I rarely drink. That’s something, in my book.

Nela continues to be a handful. While I was cooking my lunch today (of refried black beans, steak, and spicy salsa), she ransacked the whole house. She had gotten into my toilet paper staff and made a mess of 4 brand new rolls. She is doing extremely well walking on her leash. We are waiting for a package from the states with a real harness and leash before we get into some serious running/walking together.

My work in El Milagro is pretty heavy right now. We are trying to finish up the year-end evaluations, which simply means inputting data from each particular family into an excel document. It is time consuming, monotonous, and tedious. Not my favorite part of the job. However, my little hobby of making earrings has turned into a great small business project for my mother’s club. I have had 4 sessions with them and they love making them; they have picked it up so quickly. We are now stepping into the selling and marketing of our product. Boy, I should have taken at least one business class in college. I am at a loss here.

January 29, 2005
Today I got up late and tried to run in the stadium, but there was a soccer game, so I just ended up walking around the outside for 25 minutes. I guess that is better than nothing.

Around 11:00, I went to El Milagro. Just a few kids were hanging around, so I prepared 4 activities for tomorrow’s birthday party. There have been some major cuts in funding for our program, so our parties, activities, employees are dwindling rapidly. It has been cut more than 50%, so the more that us volunteers can do the better.

I got back home around 1:30. Nela was sitting quietly in her crate and was excited to see me. She is a bundle of energy for about an hour, and then she has to nap. The house training is coming along. I have read on the internet about how to train your puppy, so hopefully I am training her correctly. I also read something about psychologically damaging your dog if you mess up. Wish me luck.

Around 4:00, Nela and I set out on our first walk together, where she actually did some of the walking. I fashioned a leash out of some rope that I had and attached it to her new pink collar. She was a little put off by it at first, but ended up walking a good ways on her make-shift leash.

January 27, 2005
I went shopping with my host sister today. We bought me wicker furniture for my living room and a dog crate for Nela. The furniture is the cheapest thing I could find, but I think it will do nicely. Nela’s crate is a good size and (I hope!) will be good for traveling. It’s also a good resting place for her when I have to leave her at home alone.

Later this afternoon, my counterpart came by to work on El Milagro evaluations.

I put Nela in her crate while I went to Internet, she cried and cried. This pup is breaking my heart.

January 24, 2005
I am the new proud mom of, Kanela, a beautiful, female 7-week-old American Cocker Spaniel puppy! She is just what I needed. My counterpart came by my house to let me know that she had met a lady who was selling puppies; she knew I had been searching for the perfect puppy for months. As soon as I saw her, I knew I would be taking her home with me. At 120 soles (about 40 US dollars) she was a steal for a pure bred dog. I took her immediately to the vet’s office, where he gave her first shots and pronounced her fit as a fiddle.

January 23, 2005
So, it has turned out to be a great weekend; I had been worried.

On Saturday morning, I was really apprehensive that I would be bored for the next couple of days. I didn’t have a thing planned to do. Boredom, I have found is the enemy here. However, things took a turn for the better. After my really tough (10 lap run, 4 lap walk, 10 sets of steps, and 75 crunches) workout, I went to my site mate’s house to pick up a gas stove. I have been using an electrical hot plate to do all my cooking and it’s just too much for the outlets. I almost had a house fire the other day! She and I then went downtown to a book fair; it was impressive but the heat at midday was killing me. So, I came home to cook my lunch. I had bought some hamburger meat the night before but to my surprise when I pulled it out of the fridge to cook, it was green. Not thinking that the whole kilo of meat was lost, I just picked the green stuff off and tossed the rest in my frying pan. I thought that maybe I could cook off the microbes. Well…it didn’t work and I just managed to stick up my kitchen with rank meat. More than a little frustrated, I went down the street for my lunch and had to settle for what was left of the day’s menu. At this point, I was nearly to tears with frustration, but managed to make it to my bed for a much-needed siesta.

I woke up to someone knocking at my door. It was my friend, Carla, and she wanted to know if I would like to go out dancing later. I was so happy! She had moved and is now my neighbor, definitely within walking distance, so that is cool to have a friend so close by.

Just as I was closing the door, my cell phone rang and two of my volunteer buddies were passing through Trujillo and wanted to meet for dinner. So, they showered at my place and then we went for grilled chicken. It was good to chat and hang with them for a couple of hours.

By the time they left, it was time to get ready to go out for the night. It was fun to at last get an opportunity to dress up. Carla stopped by to pick me up and we headed to a club in downtown around 11:00pm. The dancing didn’t get started until after midnight. We met up with 4 more of her friends and even got treated to the VIP section of the club because one her friends is girlfriend to a waiter. We ended up having a great time. I practiced my salsa and meringue and had the opportunity to meet some new people.

Today, I had a new kind of problem. I had told 3 different people that I would meet them at the same time. What to do? It worked itself all out in the end. The first guy is a friend of PC and was coming to work on my laptop (my CD/DVD burner is shot), the second guy is a Canadian that is here for a couple of weeks and wants to volunteer in El Milagro, and the third guy said he would call me to go to a movie. Well, after I had waited over 45 minutes for #1, he called and said he had an emergency and wouldn’t be able to make it to my house. Not hearing from #3, I decided to head to the beach to meet up with #2. We met at Otra Cosa, the vegetarian restaurant my friends from Holland have there. We (a German volunteer, my new Canadian friend, and 3 people from Holland, and me) sat on the porch and chatted about Trujillo’s club scene, surfing, travel, and other volunteer experiences. We even made plans to meet on Friday for English class in El Milagro with the kiddies and possibly on Saturday to go out dancing. One of the best things that came out of the conversation is my plans to take surfing lessons. Seems they are all into surfing, yet are all fairly new at it as well, and know a Peruvian dude who gives lessons. Sort of an exchange program, we share about our personal cultures, I can provide them with a place to volunteer in El Milagro, and they can help me learn to surf. The afternoon turned out to be super fun -- it was an international exchange of ideas and a great way to watch the sun set on the Pacific Ocean.

Just as I got off the combi from Huanchaco, #3 called. He just wanted to say hello and that he was sorry for not calling sooner. Sure, I told him, a movie later in the week would be a great.

January 18, 2005
I stayed up late last night finishing my book. So, I didn’t get to the track to run until 10:30 am. The gate was locked, but I just decided to knock. The watchman came after a few rounds of pounding but looked pleased to see me. He said there was no problem, just knock when the gate is closed. I was the only person in the stadium, so I strapped on my MP3 player, ran 8 laps, did 10 sets of steps, then finished off my workout with 50 crunches. Just as I sat up from my last crunch, a man was peering down at me. Since I was on the far end of the field, he had to of made the trip just to see me. He promptly propped down beside me and began to chat. I am thinking to myself… “What nerve! Did I ask for company?” He goes on to ask for my name and if I was American. He even asked for my address and I told him I didn’t think that was safe. He had just approached me, I didn’t know him, and didn’t think that would be a good idea. He started stumbling saying that he is an Evangelist and just wanted to spread the word of God. He also mentioned that he worked in the stadium and hadn’t been paid in 4 months. I can respect his efforts, but his manner was definitely putting me on guard. I told him I had to go and he said that he was also a runner and that tomorrow maybe we could run together. I told him no that I like to run alone with my music. Peruvian men, they kill me sometimes.

January 17, 2005
I slept a full 12 hours last night. I think it is the heat; it just seems to suck the life out of me. I stay tired all the time. Around 10:00, I headed to the track for my exercise. I ended up walking 10 laps, then running 10 sets of steps. Thought a change from my usual might do me some good.

I took my dirty clothes to the laundry mat and then went to the country club for some pool fun and sunshine. I read a Nora Roberts smut novel, watched the teenagers flirt, and just generally enjoyed baking myself for a couple of hours. I stopped by the grocery store for my lunch. When I got back to my place, I made myself a salad and lemon-pepper chicken breast.

At 5:00, I went to my weekly coordination meeting at my counterpart’s house. We discussed the Rotary project ideas and other projects that I have in mind. Afterwards, I picked up my clean laundry and a bag of ice (I didn’t even know they sold such until last week!) on the way home. Who would have ever thought that putting away super-fresh clothes while sipping a cold, icy diet Pepsi would have ever made me this happy?

January 16, 2005
I met up with a Peruvian guy today. We went to the beach, had ceviche for lunch, and stayed until sunset. He’s a lawyer and just got back from working on a cruise ship where he spent some time in California. He seems like a nice guy, was upfront about wanting to practice his English, but laid back. We are going out again this week.

I walked 3.78 miles today. I am liking this pedometer thing.

Back to Peru

2005-01-15T20:33:00.000-05:00

January 15, 2005
I got up this morning again to run. The stadium was closed. I am not sure why; maybe because it was 8:45 am on a Saturday morning. So, I just ran around the outside of the stadium – seven full laps. There were a couple others running as well. On my walk home, I stopped to buy a slice of watermelon and pineapple from a little street vendor. I am sure that the conditions aren’t sanitary, but the fruit is always absolutely delicious.

I took a shower using my hot water, even though it is a constant 80 degrees in my room (even at midnight), with my fan blowing the air around. Maybe in a few days, I will just chill off in a cold shower, but for now I love the hot water. I can’t even complain about the weather, it is ‘right up my alley’ and I am loving every sweat drop that falls!

As I was getting ready to go to work, my host brother, an accountant, invited me to meet one of his clients that is working with a new NGO in Huanchaco. The man was older and seemed important. He told me of this group that wants to help a poor area of town with free schooling and breakfast. He invited me to see the location at that very moment, so we boarded his private car. I know, I was a little nervous, at first. Just getting into a car of a man I have known ten minutes is a little risky. But my host family is friends with him, so I told myself I would be fine. We ventured to Huanchaco to a desolate area beside the main highway where we met with a priest who is in charge of this new project. They showed me the locale and told me of their hopes for the project: a new food pantry, a new health center, and a school. It looks like a good start to a needed community service. Suddenly it dawned on me that they wanted me to help them financially. I explained to them that I can’t offer any financial assistance, but could possible recommend a volunteer be placed there. We exchanged emails/phone numbers and said we would be in contact. I think I may even return tomorrow to a breakfast they are sponsoring for the community.

When I returned my host brother told me that the man was indeed important and was a journalist from the biggest newspaper in Peru. Oh great, I thought. I will probably be in the newspaper tomorrow with a huge headline that reads, “Gringa Gives Tons of Money to New Youth Project” or something else just as false. They did take of photo of us looking at the new property.

Since I haven’t mentioned much about my new host family – I am now living in a three story home, as before. In the first floor, lives the lady of the house with her husband. I haven’t met him yet, but the lady is precious. She is so sweet and caring. I live on the second floor behind the brother’s accountant’s office. He has graciously given me permission to use his office phone/internet whenever the need arises. He has a sweet secretary who is always present; who he said can take phone messages for me when I am out. Behind my room, at the end of the hall, lives my host brother with is family. He is married and has two little babies, one that is two years old and the other that is four months old. Above us, in the third floor, live various students. They rent single rooms and attend the university. I am paying 300 soles per month for rent (that’s kind of high) and for 33 more soles a month I can have cable TV. I may have to just do that. First, I have to buy a TV.

January 14, 2005
I have had a great day today, mostly, because I was able to get into somewhat of a routine that makes me happy. I got up at 8:00 am and decided to run. My first run since before Christmas. I headed over to the stadium (a huge soccer field surrounded by a track) and asked if I could run. The guy at the gate said I had to get permission from the office. At the office, I paid 10 soles for an entrance card for this month. When I got back to the stadium, the guy at the gate said I had signed up for the track team! He says it’s free to use the stadium for running, but I had paid to be a part of the team. Since the team was comprised of adolescents, I told him I just wanted to run. He smiled and advised me not to pay next month. My run was great! I even ran some steps. It was just like being back at home when I ran in high school. No one stared at me nor thought it weird that a woman was exercising. I didn’t even have one cat-call the whole time.

I made my breakfast of bacon and fruit and then headed to El Milagro. The kids were excited to see me and I talked with my counterparts about things that had been happening. Seems, I have a busy schedule coming up. With the school kids out of classes for the summer, they really need activities to keep them occupied. I am also coordinating an international project with a sorority sister of mine back in the states. She is a member of the Rotary and will be donating $1000 to El Milagro. I can’t even imagine us getting that kind of money here. My counterparts are super excited and started rambling off what we could buy with the money – books, materials, bookcases, and the list just goes on and on. My job is to get in contact with a particular Rotary Club here and coordinate with them about the funds.

Another activity that I have going on with work is teaching how to make earrings. I have been able to have two sessions and it is a huge hit. The mothers especially love it and they like the end product, a pair of cute earrings to wear home. I need to think of other things we can make as a group, something that can make them a profit. I need to consult my books.

I came back to my house for lunch and cooked myself a chicken breast and salad. I have a small refrigerator that is absolutely a God-send. I am able to keep my food fresher longer. Yet another thing I have taken for granted.

I returned again to El Milagro in the afternoon and played basketball with the kids. Another volunteer was also there; he is from Germany and here in Peru for a year. We played sports with the kids. He is going to be visiting with us in the afternoons.

So, I have encountered another issue with my place – the stuff I bought to kill the cockroaches works great. I woke up to a bunch of dead cockroaches in my floor. However, I also encountered some ant-like bugs eating the dead cockroaches, hundreds of them. It’s a catch-22! I kill the cockroaches, I get bugs.

While I was at home in the states, I got a pedometer (a little device that measures how far you walk that straps to your belt). I walked 3.83 miles today.

January 13, 2005
Today is the first day that I have been able to sleep later than 7:00 since I got here to Trujillo. I have desperately needed the rest too. I have been running on fumes for the last couple of days. Peace Corps held a basic computer skills workshop for youth in Trujillo this week. All the volunteers from my group, along with a youth representative, came to Trujillo for 3 days. We all stayed in a super nice hotel near the plaza and had computer training in the Da Vinci Computer Institute. I was able to bring 2 teens from El Milagro, a girl and a boy. They were absolutely overwhelmed with everything. Their eyes were as big as saucers when we arrived. I couldn’t believe that they had never left El Milagro! They had never seen an elevator, felt hot water from a shower, ate in a restaurant, or walked around the plaza. We spent an hour just exploring the hotel. They touched everything and just giggled and giggled. It was great to be able to be with the kids as they enjoyed for the first time the things we take for granted. Most importantly, they got to learn how to use a computer, including instant messenger and email. Hopefully, this will brighten their futures.

I took the kids home to El Milagro last night around 9:00 pm by taxi. The entire neighborhood was locked up with huge metal gates. We had to search and search for an open road to actually get to their homes. It was scary, for sure. The taxi driver admitted that he was even scared. He says they attack taxis in El Milagro at this time of night. They lock up the streets that way to prevent robberies, but all I could keep thinking was how they get out if the need arises. They don’t, I guess.

Today, I cleaned my apartment and unpacked my last box. I got down on my hands and knees to scrub the floors; they needed it for sure. I put up new curtains, including a shower curtain! My new place is great. I just love all the space, hot water (so hot it scalds!), and my own kitchen. Something that is driving me nuts -- I have cockroaches. I mean cockroaches as big as mice. They are everywhere too, in my closets, in my cabinets, just running crazy. In the afternoon, I went into downtown to buy some much needed groceries; I have been living off canned tuna for two days now. I also bought something to kill my little cockroach friends. Pray, it works.

In the afternoon, I made a salad and visited the internet café that is next door. I have already made friends with the owner which is good. He wants to talk about psychology. I think it might mean he just wants to talk, but it does feel good to be settling in.

January 7, 2005
I am staying at my counterpart’s house tonight. My little apartment won’t be ready until tomorrow morning, so I am bunking here. It is a little wierd, cause I am not sure if they want me to chill with them or if it is ok to just hang out on the bed that they provided me with. I have had a pretty good day so far. I have realized that I am not as lonely here as I thought I would be earlier today.

I got into Trujillo around 7:30 this morning and went directly to my counterpart’s house. I slept for about 3 hours, since sleeping on that bus never works out good for me. I woke up and hung out with a couple of my coworkers who were a the house for a meeting. I left around 1:00 for the internet, where i stayed for an hour. After internet, I went to the post office. What a surprise to find that I had a package from Colorado. A good friend of mine is working out there and sent me a box filled with stuff I was just craving -- a low carb chocolate bar and a fingernail file.

I made it to El Milagro around 3:30 and everyone was extremely excited to see me. They wanted to see my photos and hear all about my time at home in the states. The moms and kids alike couldn't get enough of my stories. It really made me thankful for such a great group of people to work with. I have to admit I had been feeling a little bit down in the afternoon. I knew that I would, since that is what always happens on my first day back, but being around my families in El Milagro put me in a great mood.

After work, I stopped by my site mate’s place and found her busy in an evaluation with her youth. We ended up chatting and we caught up on what has been going on here and at home in the states. I was a bit surprised to find how much I had missed Trujillo and my life here.

January 5, 2005
Here I am on the plane to Lima, for who knows how long to stay. I have no plans to return to the states anytime soon. Heck, I almost think it would just be better for me to stay the entire year and a half without a trip home. We will see how long I make it, I guess. As for returning to Peru, I was ready to come back. I could see myself getting more than a little bored at home in the states. I miss my mom so much already. She cried when I left and I wanted her back so bad when I was waiting by myself in the terminal. She has been so great to me this vacation. With a home decked out in holiday spirit, to providing me with money, most importantly she is my best friend and I love her so much.

I am returning to Peru spiritually renewed and emotionally stronger.

I made it to Lima around midnight. I am now in a hotel that costs $20 and is close to an area of town I am familiar with, so things are good. I have good cable, too. My taxi driver and his wife were at the airport to pick me up as soon as i left the luggage area. I was surprised to see them. I guess that just goes to show they need the money and didn’t forget me. They actually invited me to lunch at thier house tomorrow. I had forgotten the humidity of this country. My hair was in fuzz and my skin sticky by the time I got settled in my room tonight. I guess I will have to get used to (again) the feeling of not quite being clean. You just can't feel as clean here as you can in the states, or atleast I can’t.

I am having a few lonely feelings now too. I know that they are normal and that it is natural to feel that way when you leave your loved ones to come to live in a foreign country. it just sucks a bit. Hopefully, I will feel better soon. I am anxious to get to Trujillo and get moved into my new pad. I look forward to decorating and getting all my new stuff set up.

January 4, 2005
I spoke about my PC experience to a high school Spanish class today at my ole stomping grounds in Hiawassee. It was interesting to be in front of American students telling them about Peru. Usually it is vice-versa with me telling Peruvians all about the USA. Mostly the kids were surprised to find that Peruvians eat guinea pig, just as Peruvians are surprised to find Americans keep guinea pigs in their homes as pets. One girl made a comment that I have had to change a lot by living in Peru. With that comment, I felt I had made something of an impression on the class -- that life in the United States is not like life in the whole world.

Kill a Turkey

2005-01-04T18:36:00.000-05:00

December 27, 2004
Christmas was a great event as usual this year. I celebrated for three days with food, family, and presents. I am taking a great, new digital camera and a George Foreman grill back to Peru with me.

I can’t believe I have been here in the states for 6 days already. My how the time flies by…

December 22, 2004
The airport was absolutely packed with holiday traffic. I stood in line next to a group of 30 missionaries from South Carolina for an entire 3 hours. You would think that these people would have been a little nicer, since they came to Peru to promote (what I hope) is peace, love, and spiritual growth. They were screaming (in English) to everyone in the airport, fussing about the wait, and just generally being extremely embarrassing and obnoxious. I finally boarded my flight at 1:00 am and struggled to catch a few hours of sleep.

Mom was waiting on me at the airport. It was so great to see her; amazing how much you appreciate your mother when you don’t get to see her as often as you would like. We had a good breakfast and headed to our home in Helen, Georgia. She surprised me with her new home all decked out in holiday decorations. There were wreaths, Christmas trees, lights, and Santas everywhere. It is great to be at home and feel the holiday cheer.

December 20, 2004
The last couple of days have been a very busy. I have had three Christmas parties, one at work with my little kiddies, one with my coworkers, and the last one with my ACJ bosses. All three parties were extremely entertaining and warm. It seems that they focus more on the true meaning of Christmas instead of bombarding each other with gifts. We said warm, inspirational words to each other as we passed out small gifts and ate paneton (a fruit cake that tastes like sweet bread).

I have also been on a big ‘new home’ search. I have looked and looked all around Trujillo for a new family and new place to live. Since PC wants me to live closer to my counterparts, that means that I get to live in a nicer area of town, closer to downtown. At the end of two solid days of searching, I finally found my new home. It is like a mini apartment inside a family’s home. I will have my own bathroom, my own little kitchen, hot water, and internet! And to top it all off, the family seems really genuine and nice.

I head to Lima tonight to catch my flight home for the holidays.

December 14, 2004
Just when I was thinking that it takes forever to get something accomplished in this country -- I am surprised! I had my second site visit today. My APCD from Lima came to see how my work and living situation is working out. He showed up around 9:00 am and I discussed a few difficulties/successes I had been having and then we went to El Milagro where we chatted with my coworkers. My coworkers gave my APCD wonderful feedback on my job as a volunteer. (They think I rock!) Then, we returned to my house to chat with my family. He discussed with them that all PCVs have to pay rent and I haven’t paid since I moved in the place. He also told them I would be moving. Holy smokes! I get to move to be closer to my coworkers (who live where there is hot water, laundry mats, and more!) He made it so easy. It was surprising for them I could tell, but you just gotta get it out there in touchy situations like this. Yet, another thing I am learning from this experience. Oh yeah, maybe things got done so much faster because the Gringo was the one doing it.

December 10, 2004
I got up around 10:00 this morning. My site mate and I went out dancing last night with a couple of her new guy friends. It was fun to actually get dressed up, put on makeup and heels, for a night on the town. Having never met her friends, I was a bit nervous to what I could be getting into, but they were very respectful and easy to talk to. We got back to my house around 3:00 am to find the front door locked with the chain – incredibly odd. I had to wake up my family to get into the house.

I made it to work to have my English class and had a great time with my little kiddies. The five that were there were very surprised when I pulled out 5 coloring books in English with easy-to-do puzzles. They just went berserk over them! They wanted to color and draw all morning. Not to mention we practiced our numbers and colors in English. I think I bought those at the dollar store when I was at home in the states. Boy, what kids at home take for granted.

I had to change my email. There is a mean virus going around; it is shutting down some of these internet cafes for days.

I cleaned my room and hand-washed some of my laundry. I also made my special cup of coffee -- I brought some great real chocolate down from Cajamarca which I add to my brewed organic coffee, top it all off with 3 packs of Splenda and 2 spoonfuls of powdered milk. And wala -- you have a Peace Corps Mocha Cappuccino.

December 5, 2004
I was actually missing being in Trujillo. I think that means something positive. If while I am not here, but miss it, it has to mean that I am getting accustomed to this crazy place. It’s just good to be home, in my little room, with my things, where I feel comfortable. Lima is such a big busy city. It is so American in so many ways. Things are readily available at your finger tips, it’s expensive, and you see a huge variety of people making their homes there.

My site mate and I met for dinner tonight, did some shopping, and then saw a movie. The movie was fair; something about Sky Captain. I don’t recommend it.

December 3, 2004
Well, I have been able to spend almost a week in Lima. I was invited to volunteer (with some other PCVs) at the annual Children with Special Needs Christmas Party at the Ambassador’s Mansion. They didn’t pull any stops for this event. There were games, face painting, donuts & chocolate milk for about 300 hundred deaf, blind, and burnt children. Santa, Mrs. Claus, an Elf, Barney, and Elmo completed the event. As volunteers, we were asked to help guide the children and just generally be of assistance. I was assigned to the blind group. My Spanish definitely struggled a little bit when I had to be very conscious about what I said and how I described each thing; gone were the hand gestures I find I use a lot.

In the afternoon, a couple of volunteers and I went shopping in a whole sale market by the central plaza in Lima. Things are so cheap here – Jackpot!!

November 30, 2004
I am in Lima working on the Peace Corps Peru Newsletter, Pasa La Voz. I volunteered to be part of the newsletter staff at the VAC meeting, a couple of months ago, to help out. Here I am on a 3-day all expenses paid trip to the capital city of Peru. Which in laymen’s terms means I am staying with an Embassy employee along with another volunteer, walking everywhere (can’t afford the taxis), and eating what’s in the frig because I am broke.

November 28, 2004
I got up late this morning along with the rest of our crowd here in Cajamarca. We ventured to the central market for lunch, fruit, and a few necessities. A couple of other volunteers, who happened to be in town, joined us. We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at the hostel, just chatting, listening to music, and watching TV.

I ventured to internet for a short email session to find that my email has been hijacked once again. A couple of days ago, I attempted to download a zip file, which I had received from a fellow volunteer. Much to my dismay, my emails were messed up. I couldn’t log in and many people from home said that the same virus had been sent to them from my blocked emails. I had a computer guy ‘fix’ it for me and he says that someone is hacking the emails here. Today I was able to get into my emails, both yahoo and hotmail, but someone had changed my settings and sent offensive messages. I know that it is someone in Peru, because the messages are in Spanish.

I have a 14-hour bus ride from Cajamarca to Lima tonight at 7:00.

November 27, 2004
We got up this morning at 3:45 am to venture about 25 miles from Cajamarca to an old Incan aqueduct in Cumbemayo. I was thinking how crazy I am to have let my fellow volunteers talk me into such an adventure. We get to our destination around 4:30 am. It was still dark and we traipsed down a scary hill to what I thought must be a town of some sort. Much to my dismay, one straw house awaited us. We bypassed the straw house to climb a small embankment where we set up the breakfast camp. We ate bread and jam and waiting for the sun to rise. As the sun was making its light known to all, we ventured to the top of the first peak we found. It was cool to just hang out and watch it get light outside, many miles away from the nearest town. The view was magnificent with mountains that protruding from the ground like upside down tin cans. We hiked for several hours and discovered the aqueduct (along with some mean smelling feces on all of our feet). For our trip home, we hailed the milk truck and climbed aboard the back joining several other country folk, since only a few combis pass down the dirt road per day. I have to say that my ride back into town on top of metal buckets of cow’s milk has been the highlight of my Peace Corps experience.

November 25, 2004
My site mate and I made it to Cajamarca for Turkey Day and what a turkey day is has turned out to be. I woke up this morning to find a live turkey patiently sitting on the bed of my site mate (where she was still sleeping). A couple of other volunteers had just bought the thing in the market for our big celebration. After naming it and a little maltreatment, it was carried to another volunteer’s house for the slaughter. There my volunteer friends got the turkey drunk. Literally, they poured conazo (a grain alcohol made at home in all of Cajamarca – think white lightning) down its throat, proceeded to slit its throat, and finally pluck it clean. I kept a feather as a memoir of this momentous event. We then carried the now ready to cook turkey to another volunteers pad for its new home in the oven. We prepared a stuffing of wheat bread, veggies, star fruit and apples. Trimmed the meal with made-from-scratch sweet potato pie and garlic mashed potatoes. By 5:00 pm the bird was done, we pulled her out and chowed down; regretting a bit the star fruit we had added to the stuffing for it smelled a little bizarre. A great Peace Corps Thanksgiving feast had begun.

November 24, 2004
Having searched on the internet for anything about my site and Trujillo, I recently encountered a group from the Netherlands in Huanchaco that is organizing itself to coordinate travelers who would like to volunteer while vacationing in Peru. Since we always need an extra hand in El Milagro, I invited this new group, Otra Cosa, for a visit. The couple in charge accompanied me to work and was immediately bombarded by all the little kiddies of our program. I could tell they could sense what I feel everyday working with them – they unconditional love and devotion and sheer exhaustion of so many hugs, kisses, and attention. We hung around and talked with my counterparts, sharing ideas and information. Later we visited the landfill to see the reality of the families. I am so incredibly affected each time I visit there. The poverty that leads people to make their living in such circumstances is so unbelievable at times, but how real that it all truly exists.

November 23, 2004
I had my Dental Health workshop with the kids and adolescents today. We played a couple of games that involved the basics of brushing your teeth and what you can use when you don’t have a toothbrush or toothpaste. A little salt and your pointer finger can work wonders! The YMCA had agreed to donate toothbrushes to the kids who attended, so what a surprise when I pulled out real toothbrushes for everyone. We first ate a candy to dirty our teeth and then proceeded to brush. What I didn’t anticipate was that many had never before held a toothbrush. I had to manually help them maneuver their brush in their mouth; advise them not to swallow the toothpaste; and explain the importance of brushing your tongue. We took an excellent photo of the smiling bright white mouths afterwards. Now if I can just get them to do it everyday.

Mom's Workshop

2004-11-21T19:58:00.000-05:00

November 19, 2004
Great news! I get to leave my site for Thanksgiving to celebrate with other volunteers in another department. I was hesitant about asking my boss in Lima about permission to leave, but turns out, he is very cool and understanding. So, I am thinking about heading to Ancash, land of jeweled lakes and sparkling-white mountain peaks.

I gave a dental health workshop to my kiddies today in El Milagro. My head was busting by the time I got finished. It was crazy – there were about 20 of those little hellions. It took me 15 minutes just to get them rounded up and every 5 I had to pull someone off the top of the table or stop a fist fight. All and all it was successful and they learned the types of food that you should eat for healthy teeth. The next session we are actually going to practice brushing our teeth. It should be a fun time for everyone.

I had an interesting conversation today about ethics in the universities here. I learned that most all professors are corrupt and accept bribes to pass students when they are failing. In fact, many professors fail students to supplement their income. Also, students can be enrolled in a class but never show up for class, pay the professor at the end of the semester, and pass. How many professionals out there paid their way through the university and never actually got an education?

November 15, 2004
I received an email today from PC, confirming we can’t leave our departments for Thanksgiving. This means no trip to Huanchaco for my group. All that searching for a place to stay for nothing! At least now I know the best places to stay when I venture to the beach. Technically, my group could still come to Huanchaco, but it wouldn’t be legal and we could get into trouble with PC. I am extremely sad to know that I won’t be able to spend Turkey Day with my fellow Americans. Here in Trujillo, we have only 2 volunteers, me and my site mate. In other departments, there are as many as 40. Most of the time, I appreciate being the only volunteer here, but when the day calls for celebration like Thanksgiving, I wish we had more volunteers.

November 14, 2004
My site mate and I went to a professional soccer game today in the big stadium in Trujillo. We had a good time! The fans (mostly men) go crazy for soccer here, making noise, raising banners, throwing smoke bombs, and running around without their shirts.

All of the YMCA staff met for pizza for my birthday tonight. The pizza was a bit meager, but there was ample sangria.

November 13, 2004
Today is my 25th birthday. When I was around 11-12 years old, I remember thinking that by this age I would have the ‘American Dream’, a great job, a loving husband, and a couple of kids. Boy, am I behind schedule. I am still holding out for my dream but not quite ready yet.

It’s hard to be away from home on holidays and days like today. I find myself thinking about what I would be doing if I was at home. I would be surrounded by my loved ones, enjoying a meal or two together, and birthday cake. My day hasn’t been so different here, so I wonder why I feel the melancholies. I think it is because I don’t feel the affection that just comes so naturally from being with friends of ole and family that just love you as you are.

We celebrated in El Milagro with a lunch of Ahi de la Gallina (bread pudding with chicken over rice), singing happy birthday (first in English then in Spanish), and with a delicious chocolate cake.

Later in the evening, my site mate and I watched “Bourne Supremacy” at the cinema, a good ending to my special day.

November 11, 2004
Boy, what it takes for a self-sufficient, open-minded, independent woman to make it in this society. Not only am I learning how to make it such a ‘machismo’ culture, but they are learning how to put up with me. I think I baffle my family (and probably my counterparts) at my audaciousness. To an American, it is normal things – jogging in the mornings, buying furniture, going into Trujillo or Huanchaco alone. I could go on and on. To a Peruvian, it’s just unheard of to have a woman who does as she pleases (without the consent of a male like her father, brother, husband) and makes her own decisions.

November 9, 2004
I went with my counterpart to Porvenir, another poor part of Trujillo, to continue our psychological study. We gave tests to 2 classrooms of high school seniors. I continue to learn more about what kind of investigation we are actually doing. We are testing the ‘emotional intelligence’ levels of these kids and its correlation with personality. What that means in laymen’s terms is that we are handing out surveys to 16 year olds about 'how you think you are' that take around 2 hours to complete.

In comparison to how studies are conducted in the states, this one is turning out to be very different. Different in that none of the rules that we have to go by at home apply here. We don’t need parental permission, the kids have to put their name on each survey (not anonymous), and they are rushed to complete the surveys on time. It seems illogical to me; we are skewing the results with how the test is administered. I have mentioned a few of my doubts to my counterpart, but she just says that is how it is done here, so I am not sure there is much more I can do.

I am having a good time hanging out with my counterpart on a more casual level. After work, we went into Trujillo together ate a good meal and shopped for fruit and sandals.

November 5, 2004
My English class was great this morning. I realize that I have developed a certain confidence in my job responsibilities as a volunteer. I am excited about doing new projects, new workshops, and new classes for both the kids and teenagers. At first, I had an overwhelming sense of incompetence, like I just wasn’t going to be able to do a good job. Now, (after some practice) I know that I am doing some great work with the families of El Milagro. I find that I am comfortable in front of groups, I sing with all my might for my kiddies, and I can’t wait for my next chance to work with them.

In the afternoon, a Peace Corps employee from Cajamarca came to give a workshop on raising guinea pigs to our families. While he was busy talking to the moms, my counterpart and I took the kids to the basketball court to play Charades and Duck, Duck, Goose (really it was to keep the noise down for the workshop in the center).

I picked my laundry up from the laundry mat after work. I haven’t been up to washing all my clothes by hand lately. I have been taking them into Trujillo for a real washing. I have to say it makes me smile to put on clothes that have really been washed. I figure in circumstances as these you have to do what makes you happy, so even though it’s a little expensive, I will lug my clothes to the cleaners.

November 2, 2005
Well, the elections didn’t come out as I had hoped. But I did predict that Bush would end up winning. Most volunteers are definitely disappointed, including me. Life goes on.

I showed up at our center around 3:30, the designated time for my last session with the moms on self esteem. I welcomed only three mothers. By 4:00, a couple more had trickled in, and finally at 4:30 we had eight moms, enough to get started. Punctuality is not considered very important – usually this is right up my alley, because I am always late.

My knees were shaking a bit as I stood before the circle of tired, unsmiling faces. Some nodded, others napped, or nursed their babies as I began with a customary “good afternoon” to all. Gathering my strength and my Spanish-speaking confidence, I explained to the mothers that we were going on a “trip”. We are venturing far away to a huge forest, where many beautiful and strange plants and creatures live. It’s going to be a long trip, I said, so we better go prepared. I handed a roll of toilet paper to the first mom and asked that she take as much as she thinks she will need for our vacation. Unaccustomed to having toilet paper, she immediately smells the roll and exclaimed to the others its fresh fragrance. She slowly took her amount and prettily folded it in her hands. The other mother’s continued in the fashion of the first, each appreciating the soft, white paper.

I continued with my story stating that our toilet paper won’t be used in the customary way, but in a very important manner. Each square of paper will represent something good or positive about each of us. I could tell that a few of the mothers did not really understand, so I gave my own examples. I told them I am a good English teacher and I like to play sports as I tear off each square. The first mom didn’t want to separate each of her toilet paper squares (she felt it was wasteful), but was encouraged by the group to do so and continued in saying she was a good mother, a good worker, and liked to play volleyball. Each mom in succession shared her likes and positive aspects. A couple of the moms began with ‘I don’t know’, but with encouragement from the group realized they too had personal strengths.

We soon continued our “trip” and encountered a very special tree in the forest, the “identitree” (a drawing of a tree with many people doing different actions) which I had drawn on a huge poster. When I asked for their first impressions, one mother said it was the “tree of life”. She elaborated that at some point in time, you feel like you are each one of the characters, and once you reach the top of the tree you are complete. I thought to myself that was a very insightful response. I asked the group to find a character that they identify with right now, today. Each mom explained her choice and some even described where their family members could be found. Many said that they were under the shoulders of their children, holding up the family; while others said they were on the tree, climbing higher and higher each day. Only one mother said she was the lonely, angry one way out on the limb.

As we approach the conclusion of our trip, we stumbled upon a huge “web of appreciation”, where we constructed a web by passing a ball of string to someone in the circle after telling them something you like about them. Looking their group members right in the eye, each mom told of the many wonderful qualities and thanked each other for her friendship. Each mom continued on until our web was complete. I was amazed at the ease in which they could sing the praises of their neighbors. One mom looked around the circle and exclaimed that we were all connected in the web, just as we are connected in our friendships and love for one another.

With applause for all those who attended the session, we adjourned. As everyone was leaving the center, one mom stopped and with a huge smile on her face gave me a big hug and thanked me for bringing a little bit of cheerfulness to the center.

I have learned that the need to be loved, appreciated, and connected, not to mention the delight in having a little bit of fun, can be found in everyone. It transcends cultures, ages, social classes, and languages.

October 29, 2004
I have had the croop for a couple of days now. I just keep coughing and coughing. I thought if you took vitamins, you weren’t supposed to be susceptible to illness -- old wives tale, I guess. Because of my sickness, I have taken a break from running. I look forward to getting back to it – hopefully tomorrow I will feel up to it.

In the afternoon, I had my workshop with the mother’s group. It went so well today! Having not really worked with groups of adults before, this has been especially challenging for me. Today I felt like I was in my element – back to my confident, competent self. This was my second session in a series of 3 self esteem workshops. Before my first session last week, I didn’t sleep for 2 days. I was worried sick, mostly about my lack of Spanish fluency. I did a satisfactory job on the first session. However for today’s activities, I just prepared properly, practiced my Spanish, relaxed, and went with my gut. It turned out to be the right combination. Not only did I feel good about the activities, but the mothers said that they enjoyed it too.

October 26, 2004
I enjoyed a night of glitz and glimmer amidst Trujillo’s finest. My site mate and I went to the theater for The Bohemian, an opera. Not only was the show good, but the people watching we did from the balcony section was spectacular. We saw a man dressed in a white suit, complete with white hair, white beard, white shoes and a cane. He could have passed for the Colonel, as in Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Colonel. All the women were coiffed and lacquered, draped in wraps, and prancing in heels. Our seats weren’t the greatest – we had to lean over the balcony – but the experience was noteworthy, for sure. Afterwards, we headed to a café for a cappuccino and ice cream. There are some definite perks to living in the city.

October 25, 2004
I ran this morning as usual. The exercise is so great for me and I am thoroughly enjoying it, not to mention I have dropped a few pounds.

My counterpart asked me to be a part of an investigation that she and a friend are conducting. Not really understanding what I was getting into, I attended our first meeting in the library of a private university, El Vallejo. It seems that they want to conduct a research study of 3 schools in Trujillo and publish the results in a psychology magazine here in Peru. I am not really sure why they wish to include me. At first, I thought it was just to be nice, so I would feel included. But now, I think it may be for other reasons, like because I am a ‘psychologist’. Which brings me to an interesting point -- Peruvians believe you are what you study. Since I studied psychology in college, then I am a psychologist, regardless if I have a master’s and/or PhD. They get very hung up on these titles as well. Only a psychologist can do what has to do with psychology, only a teacher can teach, etc. It is extremely frustrating coming from the states where a college diploma means you have a higher education and that doesn’t make you an expert in any particular area. Often our fields overlap as well. For example, a historian might make a very good social worker or an English major might make a great loan officer. It depends upon your skills, experience, and interests. Here none of that matters; you do what you have studied.

As for their beliefs about psychology, at times, I feel like the general public believes psychologists are ‘mind readers’ and work with ‘magic’. I have even met some psychologists here who would be quick to say they can ‘read minds’. There is a particular test that all psychologists use here in Trujillo, where they have children draw their family. The psychologists ‘interpret’ these drawings for a definition of the child. For example, short arms means that the child suffers from anxiety, etc. I am sure that this type of analyses may be true in some cases, but here they believe it to be 100% correct and that the child’s makeup is as they have drawn. I have tried to explain that we consider these tests theories, not absolutions. It’s truly a fascinating culture.

October 23, 2004
A group of kids from Huarmey, a city 4 hours south of Trujillo on the way to Lima, came to visit our program in El Milagro. These kids are child workers; they sell food on the streets, shine shoes, or simply beg for money.

Incredibly musically inclined, the kids gave us a concert of Andean music -- complete with Andean instruments and singing. Each kid knew how to play all instruments and frequently they would switch with each other, but never miss a beat. It was a very beautiful experience for me. They may be child laborers who have a very limited childhood, but they created such beauty with their music.

Child labor is a heartbreaking reality in this country. On every corner, in every combi, in all establishments, you see kids working. Working as if they were adults, most have a worldly, streetwise facade that is quite eerie. You see kids of about 11-12 years giving orders on the combis and bargaining with buyers on the streets. Have they ever had a rightful childhood? Will they ever?

Casa Grande's Catwalk

2004-10-24T23:07:00.000-04:00

October 17, 2004
I took a trip to Huanchaco Beach today. I have to admit I am pretty lucky to be so close to the ocean, the 20 minute combi ride is nothing. At first glace, Huanchaco doesn’t seem like much of a beach town. It’s like most of Trujillo with contamination, pollution, and trash. If you take a second look, chill out on the pier or in a restaurant, its other beauties become much more apparent. It has a lazy, tranquil ambiance that kind of just begins to seep into your soul. The sunsets are magnificent and the local fishermen astride their long straw boats help you appreciate what’s left of the ancient seaside culture. It makes me want to transform myself into a jewelry-making hippie, dreds, flowy skirts, dark tans, and all. I want to learn to surf, paint seascapes, eat ceviche every meal, run along the coast line in the mornings, and get to know the locals. My purpose for the visit was to find a place for my entire training group to gather for Thanksgiving. After a grueling 6 hours of searching, I feel like we have some real prospects for a great vacation spot. I have to find a way to make this charming, little beach town a part of my ‘official’ job!

October 12, 2004
My English class was awesome today! I held both a morning and afternoon class which is amazing in itself. In the afternoon, hordes of kids crowded around my table to practice “My name is… and I can…” The only way I could keep them from killing me and/or each other was to promise a game outside after the class.

At a loss for what to play I quickly surveyed my surroundings and I spotted a long, knotted rope in the corner of the filing cabinet. Jump Rope! I corralled the kids to the basketball court and tried to explain the joys of jumping rope. Having never seen or heard of this form of entertainment, it took me 10 full minutes just to explain the jist of the activity. After one good example from a girl who successfully jumped 4 times over the rope everyone was excited to get their turn; which quickly turned into a lesson of “one at a time” and “boy, girl, boy, girl.”

Around 6:00, we were signaled by my counterpart to head back inside. I promised the group a cookie and soda if they entered the building, washed their hands, and took a seat at the table. When I entered the Center and they were all relatively clean and seated quietly at the table, I could’ve kissed them everyone. They looked so sweet and innocent, patiently waiting their treat. I love my job.

October 11, 2004
Today I met, along with my site mate, with a representative from JICA, the Japanese government’s form of Peace Corps. Peace Corps coordinated his visit to Trujillo because Japan is interested in starting a volunteer program here and Japan wanted to have a ‘real’ look at life as a volunteer. I have to admit I was a little honored to be put in such a position to help influence (in a small way) the launch of another volunteer organization, especially from a country as impressive as Japan. He traveled in a striking SUV, with a chauffer, and accompanied by a body guard. Driving such a nice rig around Peru, you would need the protection I am sure! We ventured first to El Milagro where I explained my work and showed him our Center.

We dared to visit the landfill for a first hand view of the destitution of our program’s families. I have to admit that this visit (my second one to date) was even more moving than the first. I was once more astounded at such the level of poverty where families dredge through waste, personal and hospital, to survive. I noticed an entire new community of ranchos (tiny plastic houses) in the distance. To think that families are still leaving from the rural communities and mountains of Peru with dreams of a better life, to arrive here in El Milagro to live and work in a dump.

We ended our tour in Winchanzao where my site mate greeted our guest with a great welcome sign, explained her job responsibilities, and showed off her Youth Center.

Our visit was interesting and educating, as well as entertaining. A comment made by the representative struck me as extremely amusing. He said, “It seems that you have to be very flexible as a volunteer.” A couple of years ago, flexible would not have been a word I would have used to describe myself and I doubt my friends and family would have thought so either. In fact, inflexible would have been more appropriate. Today I see a new open me immerging from my previous unbendable shell and I like it.

October 10, 2004
I find that I am definitely slacking in my journaling. I think the reason is maybe because the days run together or I may simply be unmotivated. I will give myself a pep talk about the importance of actually putting events and thoughts in writing, especially for the obvious stress release/soul soothing it provides. I need all I can get!

I had a friend visit from the states this week. It was fantastic to actually have someone who knows me here, to see my work, meet my family and friends, try typical dishes, and marvel with me at the acts and cultural norms of Peru.

We visited Casagrande, the town about an hour away where my host dad works. It’s a small bustling town, home of the largest sugar factory. For a second, on the ride into town, I felt like I was in South Georgia with the huge shade tree lined roads and flat green fields. That thought quickly vanished and I remembered I was in the desert when I experienced my first dust storm just off the main plaza. We had a personal tour of the factory, which proved to be a workman’s comp nightmare. What an adventure! We scaled the towers of the plant to get a bird’s eye view of the sugar cane crushers/extractors. We cat walked over the huge pools of molasses and were warned to tread slowly and carefully – there’s no pulling you out of that stuff if you fall.

We ventured around Lima and to the beach for souvenir shopping where we bought beautiful paintings so cheap it almost made me feel guilty actually paying the artist, amazing tapestries so incredibly colorful, and miniature typical Peruvian boats.

I feel as if I have had a week of vacation! Now it’s all back to work.

September 25, 2004
Running is great. So far, so good. We are developing a routine and my body is getting used to getting up at 7:30 every morning. I went to El Milagro at noon today for my first ‘sports’ class. I took my Frisbee as back-up. Only 5 kids came to my class, but it was fun anyway. We played basketball. We worked on passes and lay-ups. The kids don’t really want to allow for everyone’s turn. We have to work on that.

A very interesting thing happened right before I was to leave for lunch. A bunch of young guys borrowed our soccer ball for game. The ball got away from them and went into the highway and was run over by a big truck. My counterpart told the guys they had to pay for the ruined ball. She demanded $60 from the guys and that they had only an hour to get it to the center or she was talking to the police. I really thought this was inappropriate for a couple of reasons: one, it was an accident; it was nobody’s fault and two, the guys don’t have that kind of money. My counterpart knows that.

I shopped for a dog this afternoon with my brother. I am seriously considering getting a little companion. I am just wanting for the perfect pooch to come along.

September 20, 2004
I got up this morning at 7:30 to go run with my brother. We run in the industrial park that is close to where we live. It is a pretty gross area of town, with trash everywhere and lots of pollution, but there is pavement. This is something short of amazement, since most of the roads here are pure sand. Hopefully, we will make this a habit.

I cleaned my room, did some laundry, and then ate lunch with the family. At 4:30 I went to our weekly work meeting. Mostly, we just sat and chatted -- I even enjoyed it. I didn’t even feel like we were wasting time, but actually socializing and building relationships. My coworkers are sweethearts; we are all going to go out on Thursday night. It is YMCA of Trujillo’s 12th anniversary.

After the meeting, I headed to internet. Now I am at home. Supper was an apple, a can of tuna, handful of raisins, and a cup of decaf coffee. Yummy!

Robbed at Gunpoint

2004-09-20T22:34:00.003-04:00

September 19, 2004
We took our families from El Milagro on another fieldtrip today. It is so great to see them relax and have a good time. We went to a club (of a sort) that had a playground and pool. I was exhausted by the time I got home.

September 18, 2004
I just spent the last week in Lima with all of my volunteer buddies at our Reconnect. It was a time for us to share experiences and enjoy the big city. Our days were filled with activity and we even met with the Ambassador to share our adventures. My return to Trujillo was tough, but things are definitely going to be ok. I realize how lucky I am to have a counterpart that treats me not only as a respected employee but as a friend and I have a host family that genuinely cares about me and my well-being. Everything else will come with time and I know I have to be patient.

September 10, 2004
I got up this morning around my usual 9:00 am, and then headed to El Milagro for my English class. It was a fun time. The kids really seem to enjoy the class. I think they especially like having their personal work book and the fact that I give stickers to those who participates helps too. After work, I went to the gym and then to the grocery store.

September 8, 2004
I ran with a group from my neighborhood this morning. I had to get out of bed at 6:00; extremely early for the schedule I have been living lately. It was a good run, about 30 minutes. They told me it would be dangerous to run alone, so I guess if I make a habit out of this, I will always have to take someone with me.

I headed to El Milagro around 10:00, hung out with the kids there and helped them with their homework. They love to just sit around and ask me questions about life in the states. I did a home visit with one of my coworkers to visit a small store the family has opened.

I started an adult English class this evening. I had 4 participants and I think it was a good first class. Even a ‘Señora’ came to the class. She was the mother of one of the guys I played basketball with on Sunday. We mostly had a conversation class where we talked about ourselves and I wrote new vocabulary on the board. Hopefully, this will be a weekly thing.

September 7, 2004
I went to Huanchaco (the beach) today to see about a group home that is interested in having a Peace Corps Volunteer. The home is located right on the beach! It is in a wonderful setting, the director seemed super nice and energetic, and they certainly have some things that a PCV could do.

I met with my site-mate and we headed to Trujillo to run errands and just chill for the afternoon. We met a really cool lady that runs an arts store just off the Plaza. She spoke great English because she had lived in the USA as a child. She had some really strong opinions about our presidency and her own country. It was an enlightening conversation. I will definitely have to return to her shop to chat.

September 5, 2004
I played full court, 5 on 5 basketball today. It was wonderful! One of my friends from the gym invited me to their usual Sunday afternoon game and I had a great time. We played for over two hours. I was so surprised to find an organized game like this here and these people could really play. It was so great. So, after the game, they asked me if I could teach them English. Situations like this usually make me nervous, because I feel like people want to use me for my ‘English-teaching’ abilities. They have all studied English and most of them are still in the University here. They want a serious class with conversation practice. Our first class is Wednesday, we will see.

August 30, 2004
Today is a holiday for Santa Rosa here in Peru. It seems they have a day off every couple of weeks – I am not complaining, means I get a day off too. Holidays like today are when everything is closed and everyone just hangs out at home. Days like today make me pensive and somewhat homesick. It’s probably because there’s little for me to do or go see. It has taken me a while to get used to ‘having little to do’. In fact, I am not quite sure I am used to it at all. It seems to make me think of times of past and of home. Last night, I described college life for American young adults to my host brother. I told of dorm life, intramural sports, clubs, the social life, and just being around so many people your age with your common interests. He was amazed at the liberty we are free to experience at this time in our lives. To a Peruvian, the freedom to live away from your parents, come and go as you please, work if you choose to, cook your own meals, and have your own friends is a way of life that is unheard of for a person of 18-23 years. It made me very proud to have had this opportunity; yet aware of the dangers we expose our youth to at such a young age. I realize now that I learned so much during my time in college. College is so much more than what you learn in class. Granted, I believe I am probably learning more now during this experience as a volunteer, but nonetheless, the furtherance of my education has helped formed me into the person I see today.

Another topic that has been on my mind today is a remark I have heard here about Americans in general. In two days, I have heard twice from two different people, that Americans respect each other. I have never thought about this concept before. Merely because I take it for granted, I think. We respect individuals as individuals, we respect other people’s property, and we respect each other’s rights as citizens of the USA. We simply RESPECT. I have so much pride in our culture. This type of respect here in this country really doesn’t exist. That is a strong statement. Maybe it would be best written -- the level of respect here is much lower. The crime rate is extremely high, the majority of all politicians are corrupt, and strangers show little/no consideration for each other.

August 29, 2004
I received my replacement cell phone and bank card today. I am still waiting on my ID. I continue to have a great distrust for the taxis here. To be safe, I carry very little money, nothing of value, and always put everything under my jacket. Those purses I brought from the states will never get used, looks like. I feel like I am constantly looking over my shoulder to make sure I am safe. I wonder if this feeling goes away here. With so many people telling me to be careful, to make sure I don’t walk where there a few people, and to avoid certain corners/streets it seems they, too, are always on guard. What a distressing way to live.

August 28, 2004
We had our monthly birthday party for the kids in El Milagro today. Around 80 kids showed up to enjoy the dancing, games, and birthday cake. It is always chaotic when you get that many kids in such a confined space. We had kids crying, fighting, and just making a mess of things. One thing that I have realized about most of the kids in our program is that they have little-to-no discipline. In USA Southern speak -- “they don’t mind”. It really doesn’t matter what I say or for that matter, what anyone says, they are going to do as they please. This can be very frustrating, especially when they also have sticky fingers. So if they aren’t getting into trouble, be on the lookout, they are probably looking for something to stick in their pockets to take home with them.

I came home for lunch and watched some of the Olympics with my mom and sister. I wish I could have seen more of the Games. I just love watching them.

After lunch, I decided to head to Huanchaco (the beach) since it was such a pretty day. The sun was actually shining! I took the bus and was immediately asked by the man sitting beside me if I was a tourist on my way to see the ruins. I gave my usual spiel about Peace Corps and YMCA. He went on to tell me that he and his wife had lived in the states and both taught English. He also said that his wife had some English material that she didn’t need and was looking for somewhere to donate it. I, of course, could use it. He was a very distinguished looking man, but as usual, I was on guard. It was daylight, he seemed sincere, and his house was right on the beach. I waited outside on the front porch with his mother-in-law, while he went in for the materials. It wasn’t long before his wife and daughters came to the porch to also meet me. I ended up staying and chatting with the family for over two hours. Just goes to show, I never know what/who I will encounter here.

August 27, 2004
On my way to El Milagro today, I watched the trash truck as it strolled through my neighborhood. It’s such a terrible job. The men have clothes tied over their faces to alleviate the smell. What I didn’t realize is that they unbag all the garbage as it is put on the truck. So, you have around 4 men just standing on top of this pile of garbage, emptying bags, as the people of the neighborhood deliver their household trash to the truck. I just couldn’t stop thinking how incredibly filthy their work is.

My English class went well. I only had 5 students, but they were an attentive group. We sang, “head, shoulders, knees, and toes” to go along with our “body parts” lesson.

As I pass my days here in Trujillo, at times I find myself wondering, “Do things seem normal to me here because it’s not that different from the US or am I simply adjusting to my new life?” I think it is the latter and that makes me glad. My visit home was good for my soul and made me once again appreciate my role here as a volunteer. I feel so much more settled here now. I feel so safe and comfortable in my home. My family treats me like a family member and I am making new friends everyday.

August 25, 2004
A group of 30 Italian volunteers visited our center in El Milagro today. The kids kept telling me that I had a twin in the group. She was blonde and that was the extent of our likeness, but to them we were twins. They were interested in seeing the landfill and to know about our work with the families that work there. I impressed them with my two-year commitment to El Milagro. They are only here for 6 weeks.

My counterpart and I talked about what we are going to do with the new youth group. The kids are interested in topics such as drugs, alcohol, sexuality, leadership, and sports. I thought their choice of topics were extremely liberal-minded. My counterpart even discussed providing them with birth control options. I hope to do more Niyelo activities and also organize a Taebo class with them.

My English Class went well; we did a coloring sheet about colors and sang a song.

I went to the gym and did the pilates class then the Taebo class. Made it home by 10:00, went to Internet, now I am busy watching a DVD.

August 23, 2004
I slept till noon, ate lunch with the family, and then just hung out in my room all afternoon. I am feeling more comfortable here. I was ok to just to chill and not feel the need to be busy, to keep my mind from making me homesick and sad. I want this to feel like home and it is beginning to be just that.

My site mate and I went with my family to visit their other house near the plaza. My dad keeps saying that we are going to move, but I really don’t think it is going to happen. He explained that he didn’t want me to pay rent that I was part of the family now, and rent wasn’t necessary. He also told me if I ever needed anything to just ask and act as if their home is my home. He wants me to tell my family that I am in good hands. I am so lucky to have found them.

August 22, 2004
I slept till noon and had lunch with my family. I tried to pay my rent, but they wouldn’t take it. They just thanked me for the gifts I brought back for them from home. So, for 2 months I have enjoyed a very comfortable place to live, food, companionship, personal tour guides, and I have paid absolutely nothing for it. All they say is don’t worry about it. So, I told them I wasn’t going to worry then. I guess they will let me know if/when I need to pay.

August 21, 2004
I got up this morning and finally unpacked my bags. I brought 85 pounds of stuff from the states to enjoy here! I now have too many clothes, lots of peanut butter & jelly, and flavored coffee creamer. My favorite is the worn-in t-shirt sheets (that smell like fabric softener) that I just put on my bed.

The youth group started out great! We had about 10 teens show up. We did 2 Niyelo activities that I led. It is so interesting that kids everywhere are just kids. The same issues that arose when I did these activities in my previous job showed up in today’s activities. Natural leaders become evident early, there is always someone who acts out for attention, and they often don’t realize the importance of non-verbal communication.

One of my favorite kids, I call him Charlie because he wanted an ‘English’ name, came by the center. He had just finished working for the day. He has his own business at the ripe, old age of 11. A super-intelligent kid, he is always challenging me and keeping me on my toes. He rents flip-flops and skirts to the women who visit the jail of El Milagro. There is a regulation that women can only enter the jail in skirt and sandals for ‘security’ reasons. Many women arrive and aren’t aware of this rule. For one sol, these women can rent Charlie’s flip-flops or skirts by the hour. Charlie is a wealth of information about the comings/goings of the jail. He knows when and who visits, including the police and inmate ‘girlfriends’. Sadly, many women of El Milagro support their families by prostituting. Charlie is so much older than his 11 years.

I met a friend at the gym and we went to her friend’s house. What I thought I was going to be a party was actually a meeting for a group of catholic missionaries. This group is forming to travel to the poorer areas of Trujillo. They welcomed me warmly and discussed plans for their group. We sang religious songs, said the Lord’s Prayer, and practiced their English. I then discovered that her friend was actually the priest of their church. He didn’t wear a priest’s clothes but was in normal attire. We joked and laughed until well after midnight. It was a good experience for me. Growing up Southern Baptist in a small, rural area of the USA, I recognize I have developed an incorrect stereotypical image of Catholicism. I realize that this group of people that I find myself lucky to have as new friends, love the Lord, praise Him, and welcome all into their fold. It was unimportant that I am Baptist, they were happy to have me in their midst.

The world is so small! One of the guys actually knows one of my volunteer friends in Cajamarca. He had heard about Peace Corps through the agency where my fellow volunteer is currently working. He is a psychologist here in Trujillo and works with drug addicts and abandoned children. We discussed the idea of a volunteer being placed in his agency. It is crazy to think, that at 1:00 in the morning when I was just thanking my lucky stars that I have finally found some friends here in this crazy country, I can actually consider this hanging out and socializing as my work as a volunteer. Where else in the world can you find a job like this? No where, I tell you!

August 20, 2004
I returned to El Milagro this morning. It was like I had never left. The kids didn’t even mention that I had been gone. We picked up right where we had left off. What a relief, I had this trepidation that they would think I had returned to the USA to never return to Peru. I showed off my new photos from my trip home and recounted my adventures and my misfortunes in Lima.

In the afternoon, I met my co-worker at the YMCA office to plan a youth group. We are going to start a group for teenagers in El Milagro. Our first activity is tomorrow afternoon. I am in charge of 2 activities.

I went to the gym after my meeting. I did the spinning class, then Taebo. I made plans with a friend to go out with her and her friends tomorrow night.

August 19, 2004
I made it to Trujillo around 7:00 am this morning. My host brother was waiting for me. We made it home for breakfast with the family. I slept the rest of the day away. Not sure if it was from being tired from my journey or just exhausted from a week of emotional situations. I hung out with my site mate so we could catch up; then we went to the movies to see Will Smith’s, I, Robot. Even my taste in movies is changing here in Peru, before I would never have been able to watch something that scary. It was pretty good.

I find that I have an intense fear of taking taxies -- probably not unfounded. I made it home in one piece with all my possessions intact. Thank goodness!

August 18, 2004
I had a medical check-up this morning. I have had some weird feet swelling going on… not sure about that one. The PCMO checked my vitals, my urine, and my blood and really couldn’t find anything, except that my cholesterol is HIGH again. That would probably be because I no longer take my medicine. Guess I have to start taking it again.

I spent the rest of the morning trying to replace my stolen articles: my Peace Corps ID card, my cell phone, my money, and my bank cards. Thankfully, my passport and driver’s license was safely in the office safe.

I have been staying with an Embassy lady and she is so sweet. She has been so supportive and generous. I have enjoyed her food, TV, and hot water. I spent the entire afternoon on the couch, catching up on Young and the Restless, chatting on IM, and reading.

I am nervous about returning to my site. I am heading to Trujillo tonight at 10:15 pm.

August 17, 2004
I’m back in Lima. It wasn’t as much of a shock or as hard as I thought it would be to return to Peru. I think because my trip home helped me see once again, that for now, my life is here. This is what I am supposed to be doing, that I am sure of.

I met up with some other volunteers who are here in Lima for an arts exhibit at the Embassy. They have brought in their Peruvian counterparts and their artwork to sell to Embassy employees. We met for dinner at a nice place in Miraflores. On the way home, in our taxi, we were robbed at gun-point! The taxi driver pulled out a pistol and demanded our things. Thank goodness, we were unharmed, just scared and abandoned. We had to walk about 15 minutes to the house where we were staying; we called PC and they escorted us to the police station to make a report.

What I find extremely ironic is that I happen to live in an unsafe area of Trujillo, I definitely work in the most dangerous area of Trujillo, and I go to Lima and dine/stay in the nicest area of town and I get robbed.

August 16, 2004
This last week at home in picturesque, summer-time Georgia has been a whirlwind of activity.

I have visited, shopped, and simply enjoyed my little piece of America to my heart’s content. I got a pedicure and manicure; walked around Wal-Mart for hours; tried out the homemade rope swing on Lake Chatuge; at Mexican food twice; watched MTV, HGTV, and TLC (all my favorites); downloaded current music; shopped in Old Navy and Bath & Body Works; took a glorious bath with the latest Nora Robert’s smut book in hand; ate fresh veggies and burgers with Mom on her new front porch; drove around on Grandmama’s farm, just appreciating the greenery, the beauty of the Northeast Georgia mountains; ate gravy & biscuits and black eyed peas at my aunts’ houses; drove over Unicoi Gap with my windows rolled down and my tunes up loud.

God Bless the USA.

August 10, 2004
Mom and my brother picked me up from the airport in Atlanta. How great it is to see them! I’m in the states – where efficiency is expected and attained. I am normal, I blend in to the surroundings, and my bunny suit has been abandoned in Trujillo. We stopped for breakfast at Shoney’s. I am craving meat -- lots of it. I find the over-stuffed breakfast bar hurts my heart. The food on our table alone would find my kiddies in El Milagro for weeks to come. We as Americans are accustomed to things in excess, ‘all you can eat’ breakfast bars, ‘super-sized’ meals, ‘bottomless’ refills, ‘economy’ sized products, I could go on and on I guess.

I drove us to Helen, Georgia; not bad for 6 months without driving a vehicle. We arrived home around noon; just time enough to shower and dress for Papa’s funeral. I struggled to find something to wear. Peru has agreed with me, in the form of 10 extra pounds.

I struggled to suppress my guilty feelings as Mom recounted the events of the last couple of days. Papa’s peaceful and beautiful passing – everybody was there except me.

The funeral was difficult, harder than I thought it would be. I was glad to be there for Mom.

August 9, 2004
I am making flight arrangements to get to Georgia. It is outrageously expensive -- $1500. My flight is at midnight. That means I have to chill in Lima for the day. Thankfully, two other volunteers are here for medical reasons, so we went to Jockey Plaza for lunch and a little ‘looking around’.

I showered at the PCMO’s house, had dinner, and took a taxi to the airport. This is too much. I hate all this traveling and waiting around. I just want to be ‘beamed’ home.

I was upgraded to first class. Champagne, anyone? Flying in comfort is great, but it is still impossible to get a good night’s sleep in a plane seat.

2004-08-09T18:06:00.000-04:00

August 8, 2004
Emergency at home! My grandfather just passed away. I am making preparations to leave, so I can be with my family.

After hours of searching, I finally found a bus ticket to Lima. I leave at 11:00 pm tonight. I was getting worried!

August 7, 2004
Today was the health campaign in El Milagro. I was up there all day from 9:00 this morning to 7:00 in the evening. I barely got to stop for lunch. I was the ‘pharmacist’. The families of El Milagro come to our Health Campaign to receive free doctor’s visits and free medicines. Prescription drugs are extremely easy to obtain here, you are supposed to have a prescription, but can usually walk up to any drug store and get anything you want. ACJ keeps a supply of prescription drugs on hand for the Health Campaign. It was my job to give the correct medicines to each person. It was great practice for me because I got to speak with each family, learn their names, and learn a little bit about medicine too. I was invited to church by one mother with her next weekend. The church they attend is a evangelistic church; a result of huge missionary influence in El Milagro. I look forward to attending.

After work, I met with my new friend Karla and we went to a discoteca to dance. It was my first experience with dancing in Trujillo. We had a great time! I am so glad to have a real Peruvian friend.

August 6, 2004
I tried out the step class this morning at the gym – not for me. It was too slow. Afterwards, a couple stopped me on my way out and they had the usual questions for me. Where are you from? Why are you here? After introductions, I realized that they also work at the gym and speak pretty good English. We then got into a conversation about how Peruvians are exploited in jobs abroad. They had worked for Carnival Cruises last year and barely lived to tell about it. They left Peru with the promise of good wages for a good job. They said that they were worked to death for little money. (Less than $100 a month, for 16-hour days, 7 days a week.) Then they went on to say that as Peruvians with college educations they could only work in the US or Europe as maids or laborers, not as professionals. It was a very enlightening conversation for me. They were very sincere and unobtrusive, yet very truthful. It made me almost ashamed to know that I had been on a cruise line where these very people had been exploited.

August 4, 2004
I got up early this morning and went to the 7:00 am Taebo class. Afterwards, I went with my new friend, Lourdes, to go to the English Institute of Trujillo. She takes English classes there and I was hoping to volunteer in the Conversation Club. However, the director was out of town, so we are going back on Monday. We returned to the gym and had juice with the guys at the juice bar. Everyday at 2:00 pm, children from a group home come to the gym to have Taebo class. Since this sounds like a perfect counterpart for a future volunteer, I asked my friends to show me the group home. We visited and I spoke with the Director and she was overjoyed to hear about Peace Corps and actually begged for a volunteer. I told her I would pass the information along to Lima. I finally made it to El Milagro around 11:00 where I helped some kids with a crossword puzzle race, then organized the office. I ate lunch with a friend named Carla that I had met at the gym. She speaks great English. After lunch, I checked email, and then returned home to chill for a couple of hours. At 8:00, I went back to the gym for another Taebo class. After Taebo, I went with Carla to her friend’s house where I met more people. It has been a good day.

August 3, 2004
I got up early this morning to meet the Peace Corps staff for my site visit. The purpose of the visit is to meet my family, see my work, and just make sure I am safe and healthy. My family was so great! They talked with PC staff and saw my room. Then we went to El Milagro to view my work. Overall, I think they were pleased with my work as a volunteer. I have to admit I was a bit worried that they would tell me I wasn’t doing enough. A great thing I realized during this visit is that PC staff is super supportive and they want you to be happy. As long as you are trying to get to know your community and applying yourself in your work, they are content.

August 2, 2004
Today is Counterpart Day. Peace Corps staff from Lima is here in Trujillo to have a workshop with my counterpart and to do a site visit. Mostly to clear up any doubts anyone has about Peace Corps role in Trujillo’s YMCA and to see how I am faring. All my coworkers from El Milagro came to the workshop and said some great things about my work in the center.

At 5:00, I had a meeting with YMCA to coordinate the events of the week. Then at 7:00 pm, I met up with the Peace Corps staff to eat dinner. We ate at Romano’s, my favorite café. I was home by 10:00pm, but can not sleep because I am so nervous about my site visit tomorrow.

August 1, 2004
I got in to Trujillo this morning around 5:30 am, to find that I had left my keys in Piura. I had to wake up my family to let me into my room. I slept to nearly 2:00 pm, had lunch at 3:00 pm, and then went with my site mate into town for a little shopping and internet. We swapped vacation stories, ate dinner, and then headed home. I just finished “Cold Mountain” – great film, sad but excellent.

July 31, 2004
I just spent the last week in Piura, up near Ecuador. PC gave us 4 free vacation days because it is Independence Holiday here in Peru, so I decided to head to the beach and sun. I met up with other volunteers from Cajamarca and Piura. We traveled to Mancora, a cute little beach town in very northern Peru. We stayed at the only place we could find that wasn’t outrageously expensive. It was very basic, with a shared bathroom, 4 single beds to a room, but in a great location. We got great tans, ate Ceviche (great raw fish dish typical to Peru), went out at night, spoke English, and just generally had a fantastic time. I also spent 2 days in Piura, the capital of the department, with a couple other volunteers. I traveled to Catacaos, a big artisan area, and bought a great leather handbag and some pottery. We had great food, great shopping, and great times together. I needed the break from normal PC life. Now it is back to life as a PCV.

July 23, 2004
I had the opportunity to play basketball today! It was great. I met up with some friends from the gym at an outdoor court and played for a couple of hours.

July 22, 2004
I slept in this morning. I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast. I think I have probably eaten pb&j as often here in PC as I did when I was a kid.

Around 12:00 pm I ventured to the computer café, at 2:00 pm I had lunch with the family, and at 4:00 pm I went into Trujillo for a workshop at the YMCA office. One of my coworkers, a psychologist, attended a workshop in Lima and wanted to ‘train’ us as well. The focus of the workshop was personal space and boundaries. We did activities that involved drawing, coloring, and playing with play-doe. I did not really agree with some of the conclusions that my coworkers drew. For example, we were asked to pick a crayon, paying particular attention to which color we chose. After we chose our color, my coworker explained what each color said about our particular personality. If you chose red then she said you had a lot of aggression. If you chose yellow, a lot of happiness. She didn’t explain that the color definitions were just theories, but tried to convince the entire group that this was always accurate. Another coworker didn’t agree with what her color said about her and this caused a heated discussion, yet the workshop leader could not be dissuaded from her views. It was an interesting meeting; it lasted for about 3 hours.

Afterwards, I went to the gym. Taebo rocked, as usual. There is always variety, which is great. I have some new ‘torture’ techniques for when I get back to coaching.

I have to say, besides the fact that the exercise is good, the gym has warm (notice I didn’t say hot) showers and that in itself is enough to keep me coming back for more!

July 21, 2004
I could barely get out of the bed this morning, I was so sore! Taebo is kicking my butt. I went to work around 10:30 am. Only a couple of kids were in the center. I played cards with Edwin, a really cool little dude. He is such a clown, always making a joke or making fun of my Spanish. Lunch was so-so with mashed potatoes, rice, and fish. I am trying to work up the courage to tell my Peruvian Mom to give me less rice or, hey, none at all. I just don’t want to hurt her feelings. I told my family about my Taebo class and even gave them a demonstration. They got a real 'kick' out of it.

I returned to El Milagro around 3:00 pm to visit another school with my counterpart. This particular school was humongous and very different from the first one we visited. At the door, the teacher was very hesitant about allowing us to visit and talk with the teachers. We were finally allowed in and were bombarded by kids. It was recess time and all 1300 kids were in the courtyard. It was a sight! Of course, every single one of them turned toward me, the new Gringa. I recognized a few faces. The bravest of the curious came up to me to ask my name, where I am from, the usuals. We visited with the teachers who have students that are in the YMCA program. Generally speaking, the kids are allowed to run wild. It is up to them to stay in their classroom and do their work. The students realize that not all kids are able to attend school, thus appreciate their place in the classroom. Which I guess is good thing in a way. The kids appreciate their opportunity to learn. It is just so terrible that not all kids have the right to an education. Many can’t afford the required school uniforms, books, and supplies.

I went to the gym again. Hopefully, I am developing a routine. I used the weights for half an hour then did Taebo for an hour. Taebo is great! What a stress reliever to be able to act like you are punching and kicking someone. I felt like I was back in basketball conditioning, except I wasn’t the one doing all the yelling. The instructor had us running laps, ‘running our motors’, doing push ups and crunches. If only my basketball girls could have seen me work!

July 20, 2004
My Spanish class this morning only had two students. I am not complaining though; it is so much easier to actually get something accomplished. We talked about family and learned a few new vocabulary words. My afternoon class was loco! I had over 20 kids and we ‘attempted’ to have our class at the same time as a mother’s meeting. We were packed on this little table in the corner with very little space. Everyone kept telling us to keep quiet, but the kids were rambunctious. It was a true test of my patience, I have to admit. I wanted to scream. The kids have this winy voice they use when they want something and it was grating on my nerves! Many of them have problems working alone and feel they must copy everything exactly. They don’t really understand the term ‘creativity’. All and all I think my lesson was a hit. All the kids were showing off their family trees to their moms.

I headed to the gym after work to workout. I first attended the Pilates class. Not for me, I was dying. I made it through it, but just barely. (Too slow and too ‘abdominal’ intense for me.) At 8:00 pm, I showed up for the Taebo class. What great fun. I loved it. I have never done Taebo before, not even in the states. I was beat after the hour workout. Before I could get out of the gym, the Taebo instructor introduced himself and asked me the usuals. I told him about my work with the YMCA and he says that he too works with abandoned kids in downtown. They come to the gym 3 days a week for activities. I told him I would like to visit his program. I think that would be a great secondary project for me.

July 19, 2004
Since I feel 100 percent again, I joined a gym bright and early this morning. I worked out for about 45 minutes with weights. Afterwards, I went with my brother to Trujillo to buy a few things. We were back to the house by 2:00 pm for lunch. The weekly YMCA meeting was at 4:00 and lasted until 8:30 pm. I was in bed by 11:00.

July 18, 2004
Thank goodness I feel better! My fever is gone. I woke up and realized I had slept through the night. Still think I will take it slow today, just in case. I went to Trujillo to buy my bus ticket to Piura for the end of the month. I am going to the beach! Some of my fellow volunteers and I are going to celebrate the Peruvian Independence Day in Mancora, a city very north of here, right on the Ecuador border.

After lunch with the family, we walked to the appliance repair shop. Their computer monitor is broken. My dad was full of questions about how much housing costs in the states and what it’s like to live in the country.

2004-07-20T14:59:00.000-04:00

July 17, 2004
I woke up at 11:45 am. The last 3 days have been a real blur. I have been sick, unusually sick. I have had a fever around 101°-102°F, have been SO tired with extreme body aches, and with (the lovely) diarrhea. I called the PCMO yesterday and she said that I probably picked up a virus and the only thing to do is drink lots of water, take fever reducer, and rest. Well, that is what I have been doing; hopefully by tomorrow I will feel more like myself. I have slept more in 3 days than I usually sleep in 2 weeks.

July 16, 2004
I woke up with a fever but felt like I could probably make it to El Milagro for my English classes. I didn’t shower or anything just threw on some clothes and grabbed the combi. Sure enough, I had a couple of kids waiting to begin my class. I had 5 kids in total and we studied numbers and colors, sang 2 songs, and played Uno. I also had some time to work on my next lesson plan: we are going to learn family titles and make family trees from old magazines. I think they will enjoy it. I talked with my counterpart and we decided that I could wait until Tuesday for my other class, since the afternoon class is one lesson ahead anyway. That way, on Tuesday I will be giving the same lesson twice.

I was home by 2:00 pm for lunch. My family insisted that I not be out in the cold (make my sickness worse), and that I drink lots of hot drinks like tea. Fine by me, I like tea, but I am not so sure it has as much medicinal strength as they seem to think that it does.

Returned to my room around 2:30 pm and slept until 9:00 pm. I drank more tea with my family, and then was back in bed by 11:00 pm. I hope I feel better soon. I am sleeping my life away!

July 15, 2004
I hung out in El Milagro all day today. I worked on lesson plans in the morning and in the afternoon I went with one of my counterparts to the local public primary school where many of our kids attend. The building itself was relatively nice and looked new, all made of cement and with paint. There was a play area with soccer goals and volleyball net. A bathroom and a 2 story school building with 12 classrooms. We arrived there around 3:30, in time for their recess. What was a bit surprising was the director was just arriving also. My counterpart told me this was a common complaint of the parents: the tardiness of all the teachers. The purpose of the visit was to check on the progress of the kids in our program and offer a workshop to the teachers on a specific topic like boundaries, self esteem, rights/legislation, etc. This school, very recently, had a sexual abuse scandal between a female student and male teacher. The YMCA is helping the family of the girl pursue the case in court. We interviewed each of the four teachers that work in the afternoons. There are 2 sessions of classes; one session in the afternoon for the youngest classes and a session in the afternoon for the oldest classes. I couldn’t believe the number of students in each class: 45-60 in each classroom. That is crazy! How could just one teacher do it? Many of the classrooms in the building are standing empty, because the government won’t pay for more teachers.

We walked back to the center with a family of our program. Just goes to show, I can always find a little friend to ‘escort’ me around El Milagro… hand in hand the whole way. They ask us at Peace Corps, “If you had to leave today, what would you miss most about your site?” I would definitely miss the most my little kiddies and their unconditional love and affection.

I got back to my house to find my site mate waiting on my doorstep. It’s Harry Potter 3 day! Today it comes out in the cinema here and I promised her I would go with her to see it. We invited my brother, since he has to go into town anyway to buy his bus ticket. So, we went into Trujillo, bought our movie tickets for the 9:00 show, and then ate pizza. The whole time I was so extremely hot. I was convinced I had a fever, so we stopped by the pharmacy. I asked for something for fever and a head ache and she just says “60 cents, please.” I have learned by now, not to trust these establishments, so I asked what type of medicine. She hands me something that I’d never seen, with what looked to me to have the ingredients of an anti-inflammatory. So, I asked for another medicine. She game me something which had Tylenol as an ingredient but combined with other things, so I asked for the Tylenol by itself in 500 mgs. Twenty-three cents lighter, we left the pharmacy with me thinking, these people don’t have a clue.

In the movie, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I slept through most of it… I am definitely sick.
July 13, 2004
I got into Trujillo around 8:00, came home and slept to around 11:00 am. I am having a tough time getting back into the groove of things here in Trujillo. Amazing how my mentality can be affected by just a weekend in Lima. Imagine what it will do to me, when I visit the states. I have all the feelings of being a bad volunteer because I am not doing enough or being competent enough. I think it is the guilt of wanting to live with modern conveniences, yet knowing to be a good volunteer I have to give up some of those.

My missionary friends have given me a week guest pass to the country club, so I enjoyed the workout machines, the pool, and hot shower before I went into El Milagro for the afternoon session with my kiddies.

July 12, 2004
I got up at 10:00 to my cell phone alarm, went into the kitchen to put my clothes in the dryer, to find the maid already doing my laundry. What a way to live. She ironed my clothes, cleaned the house, and then made us fresh squeezed orange juice. My taxi to the bus terminal was coming at 11:00, but I decided to change my ticket to Trujillo to the 11:00 PM trip. What are another 12 hours living “normal” with modern appliances, carpeting, hot water, and cable TV? So far, I have been able to watch American news channels, What Not To Wear (my favorite!), and MTV; eat grilled chicken salads and order Pizza Hut; wash and dry all my clothes; take a bath in a bathtub (and shave!). I would rather be able to sleep on the eight hours home anyway. I called my counterpart to let her know I would be at El Milagro tomorrow for my English class and then called a few people in the states, just to say hello. Emily leaves at 6:00 pm this afternoon and I leave at 10:00 for the bus terminal.

My bus didn’t leave until 11:30. I didn’t have any problems falling asleep. I think I am getting used to this form of travel.

July 11, 2004
I made it back to Emily’s home stay by 11:00 am and we decided to just bum around the apartment all afternoon. We cooked sausage, ate cereal, and made ‘real’ coffee. Since, Lina had already left to head back to her site, I spoke with Veronica and I am going to stay with Emily at her place. We ventured to Jockey Plaza around 5:00 am where we shopped, had Starbucks (where I bought a coffee press), and then watched Spiderman 2 in the cinema. We got back home around midnight and stayed up till 2:00 am watching TV and reading. It has been such a relaxing weekend here in Lima. There is definitely culture shock in enjoying this side of life in Lima, especially in a country where the huge majority lives in poverty.

I am heading back to Trujillo tomorrow at 12:00 pm. Back to PC life…

July 10, 2004
I got into Lima around 7:00 am this morning. Veronica, a secretary at Peace Corps, picked me up at the terminal, and then we went to her house. I am staying with her this weekend. They have a really nice place, in a ritzy area of Lima. Wanting to see my buddies, Veronica took me to where they were staying. What a great reunion! It is great to see my training buddies. They are staying with an American lady who works for the Embassy. She has a nice 3 bedroom apartment where she gave us the run of the place. We cooked, showered, watched TV as if we were in our own home. I am a bit sad that I have to stay in the other house, but we will hang out while we can. At 2:00 we went to the Peace Corps office for the VAC meeting. Definitely, the longest American meeting I have sat through since coming to Peru. We were there for almost 5 hours. Gratefully, the meeting was interesting in that we discussed many topics that involved the struggles and challenges of PCVs, PC regulations, future meetings, and budgetary concerns. After the meeting, we headed back to the apartment to eat dinner and change for a night out in Lima. We met up with some of the guys for a trip to Barronco.

July 7, 2004
I head to Lima on Friday to represent Trujillo Volunteers at the Volunteer Advisory Committee meeting. Some of my favorite pals from Piura, Cajamarca, and Ancash are coming too, so I am excited to get a couple of days to hang out with them. I had to go into Trujillo this morning to buy my bus ticket. I am taking the most expensive bus that they say is a bus with beds. We will see. I am not getting my hopes up; I know how Peru can over exaggerate. Hopefully, I will be pleasantly surprised. I also bought a nightstand for my room at the Mayorista Market. The prices are so cheap there and you can see the carpenter’s making the furniture. I had lunch at home: fish, rice, beans, and salad.

After lunch, I went to El Milagro for the afternoon session with the kids. I made another sign to announce my upcoming English classes. I am sure I will have a crowd on Friday because at the same time there is a Mother’s Club meeting and the mother’s will inevitably bring their kids. After work, my counterpart and I went to the medical clinic in El Milagro to attend a meeting. We waited around for about 30 minutes, but no one showed up. Who knows? So, we left and visited with a family that the YMCA is helping -- a very touchy situation with this family. To the best of my understanding, the YMCA is assisting this family with a charge against a school teacher for sexual abuse.

A situation with YMCA that I have observed that I am still trying to understand is their relationship with a group called INABIF. INABIF is practically Peru’s Department of Family and Children’s Services. INABIF shares the center space with us, they work with the same kids, and generally do the same stuff that YMCA does with kids of El Milagro. However, INABIF and YMCA do not coordinate their activities together. For example, INABIF also celebrates birthdays of the kids (separate from YMCA). It is not unusual to show up at the center and realize that you can’t do an activity that YMCA has planned because INABIF has already started a workshop with the kids or vice versa. To me, this is an easily solved problem – why not have a weekly coordination meeting with INABIF and YMCA? Work together besides working separately. This is one of my ulterior goals as a volunteer in El Milagro. I would love to help make this relationship between agencies more efficient.

I made my way home around 8:00, cooked myself some pasta with tomato sauce, and then went to the internet café. I discovered how to use web cam on the instant messenger. Too cool! People can see me at home and if they have web cam I can see them. Technology in this day and age is really just growing leaps and bounds.

July 6, 2004
I pulled the morning and afternoon shifts at the center again today. This morning was a bit frustrating. None of the kids showed up for my English class. No one thought to tell me that all the kids had to march in a parade celebrating El Milagro’s anniversary. So, instead I went to the Plaza of El Milagro and watched the kids march and enjoyed the festivities of the celebration. I had fun chatting with the moms of the project I saw and with some of the kids too.

After lunch, I returned to the center for my afternoon English class. I was fortunate to have 12 kids attend my second English class ever. Today’s lesson was about colors and numbers which lead us into 3 intense games of UNO. The kids really had fun, I think, but who doesn’t like playing UNO, right?

Returned home, did internet for a while, cleaned up my room, then off to bed.

July 4, 2004
Today is my nation’s Independence Day. My family remembered and gave me a hug in remembrance and I listened to Martina McBride’s tribute to our freedom and that is about it. We had a cookout here on the roof of the house. My dad set up a grill and we had steaks, pork, and chicken. Boy, it was great. The steaks were excellent. I didn’t even know that you could buy meat like that here in Peru. Afterwards, my dad, mom, brother and I went downtown to walk around. Nestle promoters were giving out free Sublimes (chocolate candy bars) in the Plaza – first I’d seen of that. Something free! Then we had Chinese, stopped by the grocery store for a few things, and then headed home. We sat around the living room chatting for awhile and I came upstairs to finish my book. Happy 4th! I missed seeing fireworks.

July 3, 2004
All the folks in El Milagro went on a fieldtrip today and I believe it was the best day I have had yet! We loaded 2 huge buses with over 80 people – moms, dads, grandparents, and kids and headed an hour away to the foothills of the mountains to an area that boasts of two pools, a playground, soccer field, and volleyball court. The kids didn’t waste anytime in jumping in the pool. The owner of the establishment announced that all swimmers must have a bathing suit to get in the pool and they must shower first. Many of the kids didn’t have bathing suits, most made due with their underwear with little regard for modesty. The shear happiness on their faces was something I wouldn’t have missed for the world. To escape from the landfill for a day to relax at picnic tables on grass, snooze on the lounge chairs, or play with the attractions was a real treat for everyone.

Several situations arose that I felt I have grown as an individual by being able to witness them –
One was this boy, about 12 years old. He has a severe speech impediment and he came all alone on the field trip. Most kids came with at least one relative. He was very dirty in ill-fitting clothes, he couldn’t button or zip his pants they were so small, his toes were poking out the tips of his shoes, and his shirt was in tatters. He didn’t get into the pool at first; he just stood with us adults not saying anything. He slowly made his way until he was standing directly inside our little circle. Cautiously, he finally asked my coworker, after several attempts for she couldn’t understand him well, if it would be ok for him to swim in his underwear. She said yes that would be fine, but he would have to shower first. An outdoor shower was right beside the pool for this purpose. He obviously had never showered before, nor had he ever been in a pool. After he become accustomed to the feel of the water, you could tell he loved it! The sheer exhilaration on his face has made this entire experience for me. He played and jumped around in the pool for hours. He touched my heart yet again at lunch time. YMCA personnel were fed by the club’s restaurant and the family’s brought their lunch. I thought randomly, as I bit into my second helping of duck, rice, and beans, if everyone remembered to bring their lunch. Just as we were finishing and starting to stand from the table, the same boy approached our table. He just stood there and one of my coworkers asked if he had had lunch. He shook his head no and she promptly combined our leftovers on one plate and he sat and dug in. I felt so incredibly guilty at that moment in time. To have been enjoying good food and conversation with my coworkers, while this little boy, all alone and hungry waited for us to finish, so he could beg for our leftovers.

I also came to realize that the YMCA personnel keep themselves at a safe distance from becoming emotionally involved with the people of the project. They did very little to integrate into the activities of the families on the fieldtrip. I was a bit lost in where I was to fit into the picture. I found I was most happy dancing with the moms, or playing volleyball with the teenage girls, or sitting on the ground with the little girls all in my lap or hanging on my shoulders, or singing silly songs with the boys. It was somewhat uncomfortable to be associated as an employee of the YMCA because of the distance they put between themselves and the families of El Milagro.

Another experience I will never forget is the delight the kids and parents get by having their picture taken. I didn’t quite understand the hysteria at first, for when I take out my camera I am hounded to death! But I realize now, that they will never have the pleasure of owning a camera or taking photos of their life’s experiences. The mom’s shyly asked me to take photos of their babies and hesitantly told me they would pay me for the photos. The things that we take for granted, how many they are! The simple joy of being able to document our lives -- the people of El Milagro don’t have this same luxury.

After lunch, we also held a birthday party for the kids who had birthdays in June. We brought out 2 huge cakes and every kid got a bag of fruit and a hard boiled egg. I was in charge of handing out the fruit and eggs. They all lined up and not so patiently awaited their turn to receive their gifts. I felt like Santa! The kids were so happy to get their food. Many lingered at the end to see if there were any leftovers and their little voices begging (for an apple, an orange, or a hard boiled egg) will probably haunt me forever.

I expect the unexpected and I am still surprised. A little boy was crying and moaning with a stomach ache after we finished with the birthday festivities. His mother promptly began pulling his hair out! With both hands, she was pulling fists-full of hair out of his head. It was later explained to me that this is ‘supposed’ to help with a stomach ache. My way of thinking is that yes, it helps. It helps you forget your stomach ache and you then cry because your head hurts.

You know, there was a time back when I was so scared of ever returning to El Milagro, that the thought brought me to tears. In fact, at the end of my first day there, I swore I would never return. I mistakenly thought the fright and nervousness would never go away and that I would never get used to the trash. I may never get used to the odor or ever feel completely safe walking alone, but to think I would have missed the utter joy of a sweetly smiling face with dirty little arms squeezing my neck in a huge hug me making me feel like the richest woman on earth.

So, today on this fieldtrip to the countryside with these families that lack so much, who enjoy life and friendship, who offer so much love to me -- I feel truly blessed.

2004-07-07T23:12:00.000-04:00

July 2, 2004
This morning I walked with a couple of the kids to get a pump for the soccer balls. On the way, we practiced a little bit of English. The kids are always asking me what everything means in English. I was a bit nervous about starting my English classes today, but for no reason because the kids were so enthusiastic! They really made it easy. I can tell that many may have some learning disabilities. We started with “My name is, Hello, and Bye”. I also taught them, “Howdy”. I gotta keep that Southern pride alive! We also played a name game, which took some coaxing to get all the shy girls to participate. I realized a little later is was because they needed a bit more personalized attention. After I practiced the pronunciation with them, they had more confidence about playing. In pairs, the kids had to see who could say “Your name is…” the fastest. They seemed to enjoy it. For my first class, I felt like it went great.

At lunch, I made a country music CD for my brother in exchange for copies of his CDs of salsa and Latina music. He had told me that he liked Kenny Rogers. What a hoot, right? So, I brought my laptop downstairs and let him pick out songs to burn for a CD. I have been hesitant to let anyone know that I have a laptop, one because I don’t want to cause too much unwanted attention, don’t want to seem like a rich American, and lastly, I don’t want it stolen. However, my family has a computer too and even a DVD player, so it wasn’t that much of a shock. We have been trading DVDs too.

I went back to El Milagro in the afternoon, continued my English class, and took photos. Boy, was that exciting for the kids. They are hams for the camera. They wanted a photo of everything, including the guinea pigs. The guinea pig project is sponsored by YMCA and is to encourage the mothers of the community to start small animal-raising businesses in their homes to sale in town. Those cute little guinea pigs are going to be somebody’s lunch sometime soon.

At dark, I returned home, had tea and bread with my family for supper, then headed to the internet cafe for some messaging.

July 1, 2004
Not much going on at work today. I helped some of the kids with their homework and just hung out mostly. I came home for lunch around 2:00. After we ate, I showed my family all my pictures from home and even some of the photos I had taken here. They enjoyed getting to know my family a little more by the pictures. My brother and I headed to Trujillo for a little while, I needed to go by the post office and the bank, and he needed to buy his ticket to Lima. Then we had a sandwich for supper at the “BEST” sandwich joint in Trujillo. Supposedly, all the college students hang and eat there; I have to say it was good. I bought the DVD, Spiderman 2, and then we came home. I watched my new DVD, then went off to sleep.

June 30, 2004
Back to work! I was actually excited to get to El Milagro today. I began my preparations for my English class on Friday. I have a couple of other people’s resources and I am trying to get a lesson plan going for the classes. I really have no clue about teaching! I was a psychology major. The beauty of the Peace Corps, you can try on all kinds of hats to see if they are for you. I guess I will know soon enough if teaching is for me.

Lunch was good, beef tips, broccoli and rice. We always have fresh juice and today it was papaya. My brother asked me if I was feeling better. He had seen me come in the house yesterday, my fresh butchered hair cut and my blood shot eyes. He told me that when I get homesick again, to let him know and we will go for a walk, chat, or take a trip to the beach. He was really sweet.

Returned to El Milagro in the afternoon for a meeting with the community council, where they discussed the importance of having organizations in a community. It was pretty boring; I just sat there and listened. However, it is interesting to watch the body language of the community leaders. Everyone stands when speaking, even in a small group/informal setting. And they always begin by acknowledging all the important people in the room (mayors, presidents, etc.) and saying very formally, “Good day to everyone here”.

I was home by 8:00. I made myself pasta and fresh tomato sauce.

My physical exercise is non existent again. There are several gyms in Trujillo. I just need to make room in my schedule to take a couple of hours to get back into shape. I know that would help me with dealing with stress/homesickness too.

June 29, 2004
Today started out ok and ended ok, but boy the middle of it was a tough one. It is a holiday today and the center in El Milagro was closed, so no work for me. I decided I would do some shopping, which I love. I thought at first I would find a gym and try to work out, but I quickly lost the urge. So, after my shopping, on my walk to where I normally catch the bus to my home, I decided I would get my hair cut. Mistake # 593,487 – never get your hair cut when you can’t explain exactly what you want done; never get your hair cut at a place that charges 3 soles a cut; absolutely never ask for layers. Oh yeah, and just take off a little, means take off a lot. I made it out of there without bursting into tears, but the people on the combi weren’t as lucky. I cried the whole way to my room, just wishing I was at HOME. I think I may be experiencing the end of the honeymoon period that they tell you about as a trainee. For a short time period, things are great when you get to your site, then you realize that what was new, quaint, and interesting is now backward, boring, infuriating, and frustrating. So, I wallowed in self pity for a couple of hours in my room, examining my hair, and wondering if I should even venture to style it myself. After a shower and a blow dry, I felt better. I visited my site mate and we decided to go see a movie. Just what I needed!

June 27, 2004
I got up early this morning to go shopping for a bookcase with my brother. We found a big one for $50 soles, pretty good. For lunch, the whole family went to eat at a seafood restaurant. It was fantastic. I had a seafood platter that had all kinds of meat: octopus, crab, oyster, fish, shrimp, scallops, and other indefinables all mixed in an Alf redo sauce. It was so great. I also tried Ceviche, the dish of Peru. Ceviche is raw fish (like sushi) ‘cooked’ with lime juice and ahi. It was superb. I really regret not trying it before now. After we got back from lunch, I visited Winchanzao for a little while. Tonight I went with my neighbors and my brother to downtown Trujillo, just to walk around. We had stuffed potatoes on the street, watched the street artists work their magic with only spray paint and a white piece of paper, stopped by a mass service in the Cathedral, and then we sat on benches in the plaza to chat. It was a good evening. We got home around 9:00 and everyone hung out in my room for tea and a look at pictures of home. There are always so surprised to see where I live, that it’s in the mountains, not the city, that all the houses are made of wood, and that everyone has cars. At times, I miss not having more volunteers in my area like the volunteers in Piura, Cajamarca, and Huaraz who have group 1 and 2 to hang out with. It would be nice to just chill with some other Americans for a little while. However, I realize that I am making Peruvian friends and improving my Spanish more everyday I DON’T hang with Americans.

2004-06-26T23:22:00.000-04:00

June 25, 2004
I took my time getting ready this morning. Probably shouldn’t record this but I am going to write it anyway. I have not taken a shower since I left the hotel 3 weeks ago. I know that sounds disgusting. To clarify my hygiene habits: it is too cold to stand under that freezing water! So, I take a sponge bath every morning. Needless to say… no shaving.

At work, my counterpart took me for a walk around El Milagro. We walked by the state penitentiary that is next door, the only jail in Trujillo where both men and women are housed. She explained that innocent people are held in prison until they are proven guilty; opposite of the system we have in the USA. (Yet, another reason to be thankful!) Also, if you want to visit a prisoner, women must wear a skirt and they give every person a full-body check to prevent someone bringing in weapons, etc. I am assuming that means that they can’t afford a metal detector. We ventured on our way, down streets of pure sand, filled with garbage. You can see personal ‘landfills’ where the families bring their collectibles to their homes to guard them; if not their things will be robbed. Robbery is extremely common. Each family has a pack of dogs that protects their property, whether that means their houses, their pigs, or their garbage. I have to be extremely careful with my things while I am in El Milagro, for at any moment a kid might decide they want it. But as a way for me to understand this lack of values, I must remember that these children and families are struggling to survive. I believe I might steal too under those conditions. We continued on our walk and talked of many subjects. She explained that there are 3 types of families that live in El Milagro: families that live in the landfill in plastic houses, those that live in plastic/whatever material outside the landfill and work in the landfill, and those that live in cement houses outside the landfill. Those families with the cement houses mostly raise pigs; pigs that graze freely in the landfill. Another problem she mentioned (which I have noticed by working with the kids) is that many of the kids are developmentally delayed, a side effect of their lack of nutrition and stimulation as babies/children.

I had lunch with my family, and then returned to El Milagro where I played and drew with my favorite group of girls. After work we visited some of the ladies of the communities who had developed a couple of small businesses, one selling ducks and the other has opened a small market. YMCA encouraged them to start these projects.

June 24, 2004
Around 9:00 this morning the carpenter came to hang a curtain on my bedroom window. This entire house is made out of cement, so to get a nail into the wall it takes a big drill. My mom sewed me a cute little blue curtain for my window, so now I can take the piece of construction paper down I was using for privacy. Tuesday night, I moved down to a room on the second floor. It is a bit warmer in this room and I have my personal bathroom. I am slowing getting it organized. I bought a new wooden table for 30 soles, which is less than $10 bucks. You can’t beat it.

I got to El Milagro at about 11:00. We cleaned up the office a bit and reorganized the kid’s library. I was back home by 2:00 for lunch. I am still getting lots of veggies and fish. Yeah!

Tonight, my brother and I went to town to shop for me a bookcase. He also had to buy his bus ticket to Lima, he goes there every weekend to attend classes; he is working on his masters in engineering. The market is dangerous to visit at night and that is where the cheapest furniture is, so we are going to come back this weekend. For supper, we ate ‘antecucho’ – cow’s heart. It was fantastic. Tasted like a great steak! We also stopped by the supermarket then we headed home.

Still haven’t paid a dime to live here or to eat lunch here. Who knows?

June 23, 2004
I made my way to work around 9:30. I am supposed to be there at 9:00 or at least that is when they say the center opens, but nobody is ever there before 9:30, so that is when I show up. Suits me fine, I am always late. I played a game called ‘leader of the band’ with the kids after a workshop on how to care for guinea pigs. They seemed to enjoy it. I also announced that I would be starting English classes next Friday. The kids are constantly asking me how to say various words in English. I hope to be able to incorporate some other activities into my English classes, like team building, songs, games, and sports.

I didn’t make it home for lunch until 2:00 today and my family was worried. I had told them 1:00, so they had already called my cell phone and was getting ready to come looking for me. That brings me to a good topic: my family. They are so great! I eat lunch with them everyday and they love to show me around Trujillo. What impresses me is that when they say they are going to do something, they really follow through with what they say they are going to do. I had the impression that Peruvians were bad to be the opposite. They also seem to really care about me and take good care of me. I feel like we have a lot in common and that I can relate to them. They really value education. My dad has two jobs: he is a professor at a night school for adults who want to continue their education and an economist at a sugar factory. My mom stays home, cooks, and is a great seamstress. She makes all my dad’s clothing.

At 5:00 this afternoon, I met my coworkers in downtown to buy a baby gift for my counterpart. She just had a new baby girl on Saturday and we bought her a gift then visited with them.

June 22, 2004
I went into town to check my mail and received 3 packages. This makes my day!

My dad invited me to his sister’s house for lunch. It’s her birthday. I felt a little like I was intruding, but the family was super nice. My dad always looks out for me – he introduced me to everyone, keep my glass filled with coke and made me take a photo with him and his sister. He is such a funny guy, too. He is always teaching me new slang or telling me a joke.

I headed to El Milagro for the afternoon session.

June 21, 2004
I got up late this morning. It was great to sleep in. I went with my mom and dad to see their house that they have in downtown Trujillo. It is in a really cute area and is very nice, 6 bedrooms all with bathrooms, 3 floors, and ceilings with chair railing that is gorgeous. My family is definitely doing ok financially, they don’t have many modern conveniences like cable tv, hot water, their own car, but they are comfortable.

At 3:00, Angela and I took the combi into town again for the weekly meeting at the YMCA office. Except that we couldn’t find it and had to call them to get us. I told the group that I would like to organize some kind of sports activity in El Milagro, like a soccer tournament or mini Olympics and also I would like to start English classes. They were excited to hear about my ideas.

Angela and I had dinner in town at the supermarket (they have a pseudo-Starbucks upstairs) and returned to our houses. When I got home, my sister and neighbors were on the front patio chatting. I asked my sister about accompanying me to the university library and she said that there is going to be a protest by the students tomorrow, so we will have to wait. I ended up talking with them until 2:00 in the morning. They were teaching me Peruvian slang and I told them all about the states. It is crazy how Peruvians are under the impression that the USA is a utopia, where there’s no violence, no corruption, no poverty. Granted I would have to agree our situation is better, but we have our share of problems too.

June 20, 2004
I did some great shopping today. My site mate and I headed to Trujillo for some great things like a blanket and a table. We ate lunch at a typical Peruvian restaurant, where I had some indistinguishable meat that was very tasty. We went to a very shady area of town for shopping. Someone told us that is where to get the best blankets, we went. In fact, while we were there I think I witnessed a pick pocking incident. A kid just ran up to this guy and grabbed what he had his hand. The lady with the guy screamed ‘robber’ but nobody even flinched. It happened so quick I wasn’t really sure that was what I had seen.

I have heard that you can compare being a volunteer to wearing a bunny suit everywhere you go. People look at you, some laugh, and others think you are crazy. That is how I feel here. Living in a fish bowl where everyone watches what you do. Good points, people remember you. If I visit a store more than once, they mention it. Others know my route home better than me and tell me where to get off the combi. Bad points, a million questions from everyone when you just want to continue on your way, the money changers who hang out in the streets haggle you for dollars, and you just can’t blend in, even though you want to so bad.

We returned to my house and my dad invited us to tea and bread. He is so sweet. He just loves to talk with us. My whole family walked Angela home. They had never been to Winchanzao, how crazy is that? So, we all took the walk there. After we got back home, my dad sat me down and told me he wanted me to feel at home and to come to the family with any problem/doubt I encountered. He said on Tuesday we could sign the lease. So far, I still haven’t paid anything for my rent. I feel so lucky to be here, in a home that is so welcoming and protecting. God is looking out for me.

June 19, 2004
Thought I would start this entry with a description of my daily routine, just to take note of it, because it is quite different from my previous life at home in the states.

I wake up at about 7:30 am, I still let my alarm go off at least 5 times and I just continue to push snooze. I plug in my water boiler for my bath. (Picture a plastic pitcher with a plug-in that boils water.) I grab my shower caddy with all my essentials, my hot water, and head to the bathroom. I first wash my hair with the shower, but only get my head wet, because the water is freezing. I bucket bath with the hot water. Brush my teeth (with the water out of the tap, they tell us not to…), return to my room to iron my clothes on my bed, and then get dressed. Then I boil more water for my instant coffee/tea. As I wait for this to cool, I head downstairs and across the way for some fresh bread for my breakfast. There is a little old lady who sits daily with her fresh bread, just on the corner. I return to my room, for some jelly and butter sandwiches and maybe some fruit.

Around 9:00, I head to the street to catch the combi for my ride to El Milagro, $.50 and it takes about 5 minutes to get there. I walk the couple of blocks from the highway to the YMCA center and inevitable there are a couple of kids who meet to walk with me. At the center, the first thing we all do is greet each other with a ‘buenos dias’ and a kiss on the cheek. You greet each and every person in this manner, young and old. We then open up the office and get things ready for the day’s activities; that may mean sweeping the center or rearranging the tables to make room.

Around 1:00, we start to close the center for ‘siesta’; it usually takes until 1:30 to get out of there. I return to my house for lunch. I eat with my family and my mom is a great cook. After lunch, sometimes I may return to El Milagro for the afternoon activities from 3:00-6:00. If not, I may head into Trujillo for groceries or hang out with my family or visit my site mate.

Around dark, I head to the internet café. Afterwards, I head to my room for the evening. I have bought several DVDs, which I may watch, read, or listen to music. For supper, I usually just eat something in my room or in the park where they sell some really great fried chicken and fried potatoes (I can’t do that too often, but it sure is good!) My volunteer pals in Piura may call and we’ll chat for a while. Around 9:00, I am usually beat. Speaking Spanish all day is very mentally exhausting, so I turn in.

That’s a day in the life of this volunteer serving in Trujillo, Peru.

June 18, 2004
I went this morning with my family to their other house inside the city of Trujillo. The father says that they have been planning on moving there for 2 years now. He says that I can live in either place. I told him I would live where I am for the time being. I ate lunch with my family. The meals are much more balanced here. I have at least 2 servings of vegetables and one meat, which is so much better than before. The dad has been so nice to me; he is very interested in my culture and continues to praise my Spanish. He is a professor at a high school and works a second job at a sugar factory. All the kids of the family attend the university and the mom stays at home. There is a 92 year old grandmother living next door too; she is so cute, but can’t hear a thing.

It is really crazy how everyone just wants to go the USA. Everyone I talk with has a friend or family member that is living there. Even my dad here can’t imagine that jobs are hard to come by in my home too. I have to admit, things aren’t nearly as bad in the USA, as they are here. I am so lucky.

As for my work in El Milagro, I am learning more about how things run. My counterpart gave the same workshop that we gave at the town meeting to the mother’s group. The mother’s group calls themselves the ‘Dream Recyclers’, which is catchy since they also work as recyclers in the land fill. I mostly just hung out with the kids and talked with the mothers.

2004-06-19T21:20:00.000-04:00

June 18, 2004
I went this morning with my family to their other house inside the city of Trujillo. The father says that they have been planning on moving there for 2 years now. He says that I can live in either place. I told him I would live where I am for the time being. I ate lunch with my family. The meals are much more balanced here. I have at least 2 servings of vegetables and one meat, which is so much better than before. The dad has been so nice to me; he is very interested in my culture and continues to praise my Spanish. He is a professor at a high school and works a second job at a sugar factory. All the kids of the family attend the university and the mom stays at home. There is a 92 year old grandmother living here too; she is so cute, but can’t hear a thing.

It is really crazy how everyone just wants to go the USA. Everyone I talk with has a friend or family member that is living there. Even my dad here can’t imagine that jobs are hard to come by in my home too. I have to admit, things aren’t nearly as bad in the USA, as they are here. I am so lucky.

As for my work in El Milagro, I am learning more about how things run. My counterpart gave the same workshop that we gave at the town meeting to the mother’s group. The mother’s group calls themselves the ‘Dream Recyclers’, which is catchy since they also work as recyclers in the land fill. I mostly just hung out with the kids and talked with the mothers.

It is so great to be able to prepare my own food. I have gotten into a hot tea habit too.

June 17, 2004
My family took me to the big market in our community today. It is about 5 blocks away and has anything you can think of. I have been eating lunch with my family, but I haven’t even paid my rent yet. I told the dad a couple of days ago, that I need to pay, but he doesn’t seemed concerned. I guess I will just wait until he asks.

Today in El Milagro, we did home visits. What an experience. I can’t really even explain it. Imagine a land fill, then imagine families and animals (dogs, pigs, burros) living there in whatever they can find to make walls (mattresses, plastic, wire, bags). The odor is horrendous. The YMCA has implemented a latrine project, so there are outhouses sporadically amongst the houses. At 5:00pm every afternoon, the families take their pigs to the landfill to eat. These pigs are humongous. The families are raising these animals to sell, but they can’t sell them in Peru. Of course, the pigs carry disease because of what they eat, so these families go to the Ecuador border and sell them there. I was once again astounded at the extreme level of poverty that these people are living in.

Not feeling so well tonight, must be something I’ve eaten. I was asleep by 8:00pm.

June 16, 2004
I did some much needed grocery shopping today. I made some great finds like: Equal sweetener, Campbell’s soup, and even Romen noodles. I dropped some laundry off at the laundry mat – not cheap, but it is just so hard to hand wash jeans. So, the other half I will hand wash here.

I went to work in El Milagro at 3:00. I attended a community meeting with my counterpart. She held a workshop on advocacy. The YMCA in El Milagro, functions a lot like Family Connection does at home. They serve as a community resource where kids are mentored and tutored, families receive counseling, health fairs are organized, and community meetings are held. I was able to see the main plaza and the church and we also visited with some families of the community while we were there.

I introduced myself to the mini market owner and the guy who cuts hair here where I am living. They were nice and warned me to be careful getting off and on the bus from certain areas, there is a history of robbers.

June 15, 2004
I got up this morning and packed my things to move to my new house. I ventured to the market to find some breakfast – bread and mandarins. Around 11:00 am, my counterpart showed up and we moved all my stuff. My family took the news well; my counterpart told them I had to move because Peace Corps wanted us in separate communities.

My new family is nice. There are 3 kids (21, 24, 26 years old), their parents and they rent out the 2nd and 3rd floor rooms. I am in a room on the third floor. My neighbors are a young married couple and a single 21 year old. The oldest son of the family is 27 and he has been a real help to me. He helped me move in and put up my bed; he took me for a tour of the neighborhood, and even helped me get a bus into town. He has studied English and wants me to tutor him. I went into Trujillo to go to the supermarket, but it was closed. I am figuring out that most things close here around siesta time of 1-4pm. I will be eating lunch with the family but I want to cook my own breakfast and dinner. I pay $100 soles a month for rent. That is like $35 American dollars, you can’t beat it.

I made my first visit to El Milagro today. I prepped myself for the shock of it all and I have to admit that it wasn’t such a shock at all this time. All the kids were happy to see me. My counterpart gave me a set of keys to the building and went over the objectives of the YMCA in El Milagro. They are doing so much! They have a full-time social-worker, a full-time psychologist, a part-time teacher, and several volunteer college students who all do programs/activities in the center. There weekly schedule is packed full of workshops, therapy sessions, activities. It is all a little intimidating, but I can see where I can bring some of my skills to the table. I told them I was interested in doing sports activities with the kids (which they lack), team building activities, and a paper making project and they seemed excited that I had some new ideas. In fact, they wanted me to hop right in the schedule for this week. I had to try to explain that I am still in the adjustment phase and would need some time to observe and learn about the culture and way things work.

I told my counterpart that I didn’t even know how to take the bus or where to shop for things like laundry soap, so before I jump into work, I need to feel organized and settled in at home. She was great and immediately took me to town. We bought me an electric hot plate, a dish, a fork, a knife, a spoon, Tupperware, and a bucket to wash my clothes. She gave me a tour of Trujillo on the way. We also decided that I would only work the afternoons this week, so I could get more settled in.

I am feeling more and more confident with my Spanish. My new host family dad told me I speak better Spanish than he does, I know he was kidding, but it does feel good to be able to communicate and share ideas with others in another language.

I don’t think I picked up lice from my sister. Thank goodness!

June 14, 2004
I returned to the house I found by the internet cafe to see about moving in. The dad of the family says all is good for me to move in, so I believe I will just do it. God is telling me this is where I should live, so I am going to follow his advice.

At 4:00, we visited the new YMCA office; the building is brand new and very nice. It is in an area of town that is pretty shady. They don’t even have water, electricity, or telephones and they can’t move in until they do. So, it will probably be forever until that all is ready. We had a YMCA staff meeting at the temporary office. It was quite overwhelming; they want us to start doing activities immediately. Peace Corps tells us to take 3 months to get settled in before we start any projects. Also, they want me to be in the center in El Milagro, 6 days a week, 9:00-6:00 with a 2 hour lunch. That is like a full-time job!

I am worried about how my current family will take the news that I am moving out. Hopefully, everything will work out. I am learning so much, but the lessons are tough ones. To not be liked or to be liked or to stand out wherever you go, simple because of your skin color is harsh.

June 13, 2004
I had a bad night last night. I couldn’t sleep because I am so worried about my living situation. I keep praying, but I just can’t shake my anxiety. I bought some things today for my family, like milk, bread, fruit, and rice.

I met the missionary family for lunch at a golf club in Trujillo. I met their children, visited with them at their house, and afterwards, we again looked for housing. I think God put them in my life for a reason. What a coincidence to be able to know them here in Peru.

June 12, 2004
This area of Trujillo where I am living doesn’t have police, so it is pretty much self-patrolled. People are extremely worried about being robbed. I have been warned several times about it. This common opinion is that if you are stupid enough to allow your stuff to be stolen, then so be it.

This being a ‘rich’ foreigner thing is tough. I so obviously have so much more than they do, and it makes things so difficult.

I went to the YMCA center of Winchanzao to a leadership workshop, but nobody showed up. However, I did chat with another YMCA volunteer, she’s Peruvian and lives in Winchanzao. I have yet to visit El Milagro. I ate lunch at a little house and the family was super nice. This house is a couple of doors down from the house I want to move into to. They said they would give me 3 meals a day for $6, when I move.

I met the missionaries that I had been corresponding with via email. What a nice couple! They helped me for a room to rent in some nice areas of Trujillo.

June 11, 2004
I had a weird night last night for sure. I had absolutely no privacy. I am still sleeping in the same room as my sister. Even though I was writing in the living room, my mom just turned off all the lights said to get in the bed. So we went to our bedroom and she said I could use her bedroom if I wanted to change. There are no doors on either of the 2 bedrooms. Something has to give! Oh, yeah, my sister has lice. I helped my mom pick the nits out of her hair this morning. My mom says its something she has to do every morning. I realize we are supposed to compromise as volunteers, but this is too much. I have to look for somewhere else to live ASAP. My sanity depends on it. Who’s going to look out for me if I don’t?

I tutored the neighbor in English a bit this morning, before I headed to the internet café, a couple of blocks from Winchanzao. I asked the attendant in the internet cafe if she knew of any place for me to live. What do you know? She says she rents a room from a family close by and that they have a room with bathroom that is available. The room is clean and nice, totally cute and only $100 per month. I have to wait until Sunday to talk with the father about the logistics. But I think this is definitely an option for me.

On a good note, our counterpart really seems to understand our roles as volunteers and the importance of being happy where we live.

I am so scared! What am I scared of? Being lonely, I think. I know that this pace of life will take some time to get used to and some adjustments on my part. I really haven’t had to be truly on my own. I will have to fill my days with activities. I can get a membership at a gym. I will be able to cook my food in my new room. I can read and I could get a Spanish tutor. I could make jewelry, sew, paint, or draw. See, I have lots of activities to keep boredom stay away.

Secondary projects I would like to tackle are: teaching English, youth group for Niyelo activities, reading group.

I am thinking about the 2 years before me and it seems like an eternity. I just hope to make this place my home. I know that just means putting myself out there and getting involved. I just want everything to happen quickly and naturally. Patience, I keep telling myself.

When I returned from Trujillo, my family had rearranged the house. The sister’s bed is now in the parent’s room. We had supper or bread and coffee. That is all they seem to ever have for supper. I think financially this family is suffering. It puts me in such a tough situation. I know any number of churches would happily donate to this poor Peruvian family. It would be a temporary fix, one that is not sustainable in the long run. I could I help this family help themselves? That is the real goal of a volunteer.

June 10, 2004
Wow. Here I am in my new home. I am with the same family I stayed with during my site visit. Granted they are very nice, sweet in fact, but this home is pretty rough. As long as I have my own space, I will be fine. The arrangement for me staying here is that I will make repairs on the house in place of rent. In the first 10 minutes, my mom showed me the things that she wanted me to fix or install like: a window, door, and bathroom. The dad even sat me down and said he needed a pair of eye glasses that cost $200. Definitely, not the foot I wanted to start off with in my new home. Peace Corps warns us that people will think we are made of money because we are from the USA. At this point, I am sharing a room with my sister. Hopefully, they will clean out the room so I can have it to myself. They do have a refrigerator here, but like in Santa Eulalia, it is unplugged (I think that is to conserve electricity, but what good is it?) Good things about this home: a flush toilet with a seat, water, electricity, telephone – so all and all I will be ok. Bad things: extremely close to other volunteer (about 2 blocks), no privacy, money issues.

I am having the urge to cry, but hopefully I can hold out. As for my work in El Milagro, I have to get myself prepared for my work there. I know it will be a shocker if not, especially the first couple of days. It is a good thing to be close to Trujillo.

Our counterpart took us shopping. We bought a bed and shelf for our rooms. I am glad I spoke up for myself and told my counterpart that I wanted to live somewhere else, they were supportive. Yeah! Now I have to find somewhere else to live.

June 8, 2004
We have spent two more days in Trujillo enjoying the cafes, shopping, and cable TV. We were supposed to move into our host families today, but something came up with our counterpart, so we are going to move into tomorrow or at least that is the new plan. We also mentioned to our counterpart our concerns about living so close together and they completely understood. They said that we were living in different sections of Winchanzao, so hopefully, it will all work out.

June 6, 2004
We got into Trujillo at 7:30 this morning. Our hotel is ok; not the greatest, but it does have hot water. I slept all night on the bus. We explored the city first thing this morning. I have to admit I am very excited about Trujillo. It is a great city. There are supermarkets that have great stuff like American sliced cheese, sandwich meat, milk, and peanut butter. I was so excited! We found the post office and the bank. Also, there are some great restaurants. For lunch, we ate in a cute little café where I had a great grilled chicken salad with oil/vinegar dressing. We found lots of appliance stores and even a department store with almost anything I would need. We sat in the Plaza for a while and it didn’t take long before people just came up to us and asked us what we were doing in town. It was so funny how incredible friendly and curious people are here. After we chatted for a while, we headed to the movies. I can’t believe there is actually a cinema here. We watched the Day after Tomorrow; it was fair, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Tomorrow is another day to laze around here in Trujillo, and then on Tuesday we head to our sites and to our host families. I am very nervous. I am praying things will be ok.

2004-06-05T20:39:00.000-04:00

June 5, 2004
I am just hanging out in the hotel room today. I couldn’t really sleep last night. I woke up early and checked my email here at the hotel. They had a continental breakfast which was excellent. With Peru’s ways of little waste, the all you could drink, eat of my breakfast was fabulous. I took a shower, disappointingly my water wasn’t very hot, and then we headed to the beach for some shopping and lunch at Pizza Hut. It is very cold here and there’s no heat. So I have been bundling up when we head outside. I got a 10 minute massage at the mall for 10 soles; it was worth every minute of it! We don’t head out to Trujillo until 9:00 pm. Everyone else leaves earlier. It is so sad to see everyone leave for their sites. Everyone has gotten so close – going through training together, laughing & crying together. It is hard to think about not seeing everyone everyday for now on.

June 4, 2004
Swearing in today! I got up extremely early to get my luggage sent off and myself ready for the big day. With a borrowed dress and shoes and an up-do I said my goodbyes to my Santa Eulalia family. It was very sad. They have treated me so well and made me a part of their family. We left for Lima with a crowd waving us farewell from the training center. Needless to say, I was very nervous about giving my speech.

We made our way to the Peace Corps Office, then to the Presidential Palace. Our ceremony was very formal with about 200 people attending, including past volunteers, world diplomats, the US ambassador, the Peace Corps director, and of course President Toledo. I have to admit, my speech went well! I spoke just before President Toledo. Afterwards, many congratulated me on a job well done and even complemented my Spanish. There were a lot of press cameras present and we even made it on Peruvian television.

After our ceremony, we had an amazing lunch at a restaurant called Mango’s on the beach in Lima -- a complete buffet where I stuffed myself full of chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, and salad. It was scrumptious. The Peace Corps Director, Gaddy Vasquez, dined with us and he sat by me at the table -- my first experience conversing with a President Bush appointee. He told us of his experiences as a politician and his job at Peace Corps Director. Later, we checked in our hotel and just chilled out. For our last night together as a group, we headed to Miraflores with our trainers and language teachers. We had a lot of fun.

June 3, 2004
Our last day of training. We had breakfast at our trainer’s house. We cooked for ourselves: pancakes, scrambled eggs with veggies, smoothies from fresh fruit, and coffee. Afterwards, we presented our mentoring experience. At 3:00 pm, we had a party for our families. I was on the gift committee – we gave the families flowers, framed photos, and homemade candles. Also, we had a food committee (and, boy, they did a great job!), decorations, and entertainment committee. The party was a huge success. We sang a song we dubbed the CHP Blues, did a skit where we acted like our Peruvian moms, and presented the gifts. All and all it was a great end to training.

Tonight is my last night here. I dread packing! My family took me for my last dinner to a restaurant in Chosica. They are too sweet. I will miss them.

June 1, 2004
I practiced my speech for my language class today. We went to Chosica for errands this afternoon. I bought another pair of handmade sandals; thought it might be my last chance! I practiced my language interview questions with another trainee. I have had late nights everyday this week. Just not enough time in the day to get everything in and completed.

2004-05-29T14:55:00.000-04:00

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.

2004-05-19T19:41:00.000-04:00

May 19, 2004
Received a call to let me know that my counterpart will assist in changing my home stay in Trujillo. Yeah! I know I still have a rough rode ahead of me.

May 18, 2004
After some intense soul searching, some intense studying of my Bible, and some intense conversations with God, I know he has a purpose for me here. After seeing and experiencing El Milagro, I have decided that I can work in the site, but would need to live outside it, in Trujillo.

I talked to the APCD and felt I was upfront with my needs. I told him of my dedication to serve as a volunteer, but in order to be the best volunteer I could be, I would need a certain living environment in which to escape. He was completely understanding and supportive. He said that he would call my counterpart and would discuss with her the options of another host family for me, outside of my site. He will let me know what he finds out tomorrow.

I definitely feel better about things, but I know this is going to be so hard. Possibly the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, in fact. With faith in God, I can do this. He is showing me that.

Like my APCD told me--if it was all rosy and great, then why would Peace Corps be in Peru?

May 17, 2004
I made it back to Santa Eulalia. What a beautiful home I have here. I called the PCMO to see what the APCD had said and she said that there are definitely some options for me. What a relief. She suggested that I talk with a trainer, to get her perspective on the situation since she had visited my site previously.

She helped me to realize that intense poverty is a reality in a 3rd world country and she validated my feelings of doubt and encouraged me to call the APCD. I pretty much just gave him my thoughts on my site. He asked that I come up with ideas on how I might be able to fix the problems that I have with the site. He said that El Milagro can be considered the most challenging site in the group, that it meets PC regulations for safety, and that housing is adequate. We scheduled a meeting for tomorrow at noon to talk face to face on a solution.

Since all the other trainees had gotten into town today too, we all met in Chosica for supper and time to exchange stories about sites. One thing that I realized is that many others had a miserable time too. And that I had some pretty great things going on in Trujillo. My counterpart is awesome, they have some great activities going on, they are progressive thinkers, educated, and resourceful. Plus they were just incredibly nice people. The beach is only a 15 minute drive away and Trujillo offers everything in the form of modern amenities. Some of my compadres didn’t fare so well either. One guy was sent 2 hours north of Cajamarca by milk truck to this extremely rural site, where he slept on the dirt floor, only ate potatoes, was unwelcomed by his reserved community, didn’t have a counterpart, had an outhouse (that you would just drather use the woods it was so bad), and was somewhat badgered by the town’s alcoholics because he was gringo. Other trainees, lived behind locked gates for the entire stay unable to leave, others didn’t like their counterparts or felt they didn’t have a role to fulfill in the community. In other words, maybe the grass isn’t greener on the other side.

May 16, 2004
Well I guess it is time for a recap on the previous 3 days of my experience in Trujillo. I really wasn’t able to write, to eat, nor to sleep. It was that bad.

Me and one other trainee arrived here on Wednesday in the afternoon. We were immediately shuttled from the bus station to our host family. Our host families were located in another site about 10 min. from my site, El Milagro. We started off with a big bang. We went to a mother’s club where we were introduced and expected to speak to the group. Then we headed over to a youth group meeting where the same thing happened. We talked, answered questions, and played a couple of games. My host family was marvelous. They had electricity, water, bucket flush toilet, and a shower. They had turkeys and guinea pigs in their patio. Their home was quite comfortable. It was a good first night. Reality set in the very next day.

The YMCA director and our counterpart, picked us both up early the next day to tour my site, El Milagro. I had no idea what to expect and there was no way I could have prepared myself for the reality of the site. El Milagro epitomizes the term ‘extreme poverty’. It is the last pueblo of the city of Trujillo before entering the desert, most famous for the city dump where many residents make a living ‘recycling’ trash and looking for anything of use. When I say city dump, it’s not to be confused with my experience of US’s landfills. This dump is as far as you can see out into the desert. Families live in little square black plastic shelters or in crude adobe housing. Over 40,000 people live in El Milagro. Most have no electricity, no water, and no bathroom. There are no regulations on trash disposal here, anyone may dump trash, and anyone may live in it or go through it. The community ‘recycles’ things found in the dump. They earn 10 cents a kilo for plastic, eat what food they find, and wear the clothes the recover. They take their pigs there to graze, not understanding the re-contamination they are producing. Also, El Milagro is also home to a state prison. The YMCA center, where I am to work, is located next to the prison. The center is a location where kids in El Milagro can hang out, do homework, and play. There are students from universities in Trujillo who volunteer to help with the kid’s with school work and 3 YMCA employees that organize activities for the youth and women’s club of the community. The center is open Monday – Saturday 9:00-6:00. Rocio took us for a driving tour of El Milagro and drove directly to where the children and adults were ‘working’ in the trash. After our tour, we drove into Trujillo to the YMCA office (in a very nice section of town), where I proceeded to break down. I had never experienced such inhumane conditions in my life and to think that I would be living there for 2 years was too much to bear. We took a walk and I just cried and cried. We returned to our home stays and I didn’t sleep. I finally was able to make myself calm down by praying for guidance, support, and a solution.

We returned to El Milagro the next day where we hung out in the center and played with the kids. What a loving group of kids. They had a ton of questions, big hugs, and smiling faces. I was able to visit my future home stay and boy was it a disappointment. The home was made of adobe, my room was supposed to be getting improvements but none by my eyes could be noted. There was no roof, no water, and an outhouse. In the afternoon, we returned to the other site. I attended a mass service at the Catholic Church with my host sister. She introduced me to the priest, who asked me if I was catholic. I told him no that I was Baptist. And he told me that was all that was important, that I was a Christian. How true, I find that to be. I immensely enjoyed the service and felt God’s presence and his calming hand. After chatting with the congregation after the service, I returned home to another restless night. I just remember experiencing this intense fear.

My last day in El Milagro was during a Health Campaign sponsored by the YMCA. There was a nutritionist, a dermatologist, an obstetrician, and general practitioner there to see the community members. I helped with the campaign and played outside with the kids. After another long day, I headed back to Angela’s site. I finally felt in control of my emotions enough to call the Peace Corps nurse, to tell her of my experience. I told her about my site and that I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t live there in that site for 2 years, that I felt incredibly unsafe physically, emotionally, and mentally. She was absolutely great and told me that was the point of a site visit--to see if the site is the right match for you. She also said she would call Ken, the guy who does our placements, to give him a head’s up. What a relief to verbalize what I was feeling.

My last day in Trujillo was a good one. Before lunch, we helped the YMCA with a youth workshop and a women's group fundraiser in the other site. In the afternoon, we did the touristy things like visiting the Ruins of the Moon & Sun, touring down town, and visiting the beach.

May 13, 2004
Oh my goodness. My site is unlike anything I have ever seen. The worst situation I have ever witnessed, in fact.

May 12, 2004
The bus I was on to the ‘campo’ broke down, so I had to hail another one. I helped another volunteer with more presentations in the schools. I head to Trujillo tomorrow. Things that I have loved about Cajamarca are the traditional dress of the people. They wear such brightly colored clothing. The women have on big skirts and babies strapped to their backs. Big white hats are worn by all. Generally, the people are very nice and friendly.

May 10, 2004
I ventured to the ‘campo’ today. That’s Spanish for countryside. I met up with a health volunteer where I was able to help kids learn how to properly brush their teeth, to teach an English class to kindergarteners, and to do some team building activities with high schoolers. Interestingly, only boys attended the high school, it seems that the girls have dropped out of school at this point. After our work in the schools, we headed to the pasture to “water” the cows. The cows are staked to the ground by a lead rope and ever so often you move them to fresh grass and lead them to the creek to drink water. It was a fun experience. We ate lunch at another volunteers house: pasta with a vegetable tomato sauce. Her house is mostly dirt floors, has an outhouse, no refrigerator, and a wood burning stove for cooking. We headed back into Cajamarca to meet up with another volunteer, to visit the local artisan workshops. What a neat place, to watch them make such beautiful ceramics. Her home in the city is very modern. She has all modern conveniences including TV, refrig, and bathroom. I am experiencing some definite anxiety about what is awaiting me in Trujillo.

May 9, 2004
Today is Mother’s Day. I called Mom to wish her a good day. This morning we toured Cajamarca with the PCVs of the area and had lunch in on the plaza. I have the afternoon to myself and just climbed the hill to the church to overlook all of Cajamarca. I went to the market for breakfast goods.

2004-05-08T18:12:00.000-04:00

May 8, 2004
I made it to Cajamarca – 14 hours on a bus last night! The bus was nice granted, like a charter bus in US, but what a night. There is no good way to sleep, especially on bumping rodes. Cajamarca is beautiful, unlike anything I have ever seen. Rolling green mountains, quaint villages, huge farms, and friendly people. We are staying in a hostel right in down town. It is great. Believe it or not – I have hot water! My first hot shower in 8 weeks, what a treat. The rooms are neat and clean and there’s a tv. I feel like I am on vacation. We have the rest of today free to explore the city. Tomorrow I meet up with a volunteer named Amanda to learn first hand about PC service. Cajamarca is a big city with colonial buildings in the town center. There is a huge market a couple of blocks south of the plaza, where everything is sold – guinea pigs, fruits, vegetables, clothing, you name it.

May 7, 2004
What a whirl wind of a day. We found out of site placements, finally! I can’t believe I have made it this far in my PC experience. We leave this afternoon for Field Based Training for 10 days – where you stay with a current volunteer for 3 days to learn the ropes, then visit your site for 3 days to see your home of 2 years. Since there are no volunteers currently in Trujillo, I am heading to Cajamarca first, then will go to Trujillo at the end of the week.

A little about my site, from the written info I received: Intense poverty, final shanty town of the city before entering the desert, most famous for the city dump where many residents make a living recycling trash and looking for anything of use, there is electricity and water, latrines (outhouses), beach of Huanchaco is 15 minutes away, climate is warm and dry (often above 80), houses are made mostly of adobe and bricks, of any PC/Peru site offers the toughest daily reality, structured work (Monday-Friday) environment with YMCA, and Internet is a 5-minute walk away.

May 5, 2004
My family took me to thier uncle’s farm today, he raises exotic fish and has bananas, alvocados, limes, and apples. I was able to pick bananas right from the tree and eat them. He also took me to his ancestrial adobe home that is in his back yard. He said his great grandparents built it. Also got to see the guinea pigs and chickens he’s raising to eat.

May 4, 2004
Not too much happened today that is interesting. Just classes, then this afternoon two counterparts (agencies we will be working with in our sites) came to give presentations to our training group. A site in Cajamarca is in a group home/orphanage. The volunteer will have their own personal apartment, equipped with kitchen and hot water. You can’t beat that for living arrangements. However, the work seems arduous. The volunteer will live and work in this facility with 25 kids and one other adult. That’s a lot of responsibility and a lot of work. The other presentation was about Ancash, way up in the Andes Mountains. This site is a lot less structured. The volunteer will be living in a Quechua-speaking community and focusing on bi-lingual (Quechua/Spanish) education. I return to the Buenos Aires school on Thursday, so I am busy preparing a lesson. Supposedly, we are returning to help with tutoring, but the teachers have requested that we do another self-esteem activity.

May 3, 2004
Something that I have realized is -- you can really get used to any surrounding. The things I thought were just crazy and that I would never get used to, are a part of my everyday routine now. It’s almost like they’ve always been that way. You really don’t need a toilet seat, nor do you really need hot water to bathe in, and you can make due without a car. They say that reverse culture shock when you go home is even worse than the initial culture shock of the foreign country. I am beginning to see why. I can’t believe I have been here 2 months.

Classes today were great – my language improved! I’m up one more level. We’ve changed professors. We leave on Friday to visit our sites and to stay with another volunteer. We had a session on things you can do to improve the housing in your future site, so take notes on your first visit. PC gives you $200 as a settling in allowance, for things like a bed, stove, dresser, paint, or whatever you think you might need. All sites have some sort of shelter, latrine, and water source; but it is up to you to add what is not already there. The families can consider this part of the rent. If after a couple of months, your family is not working out, you can move homes. So, there is freedom in where you live, but you have to remember part of the PC mission is to live like the locals.

May 2, 2004
I went to a trainee´s soccer game today. She’s playing with the Santa Eulalia women’s team. It was fun to sit in the stands and hear the Peruvians root for the Gringa! I heard from a neighbor they want her to play for a team in Lima. Later in the afternoon, went with my family to the men’s soccer game, and had some great grilled chicken. They were having a chicken dinner for a fundraiser for the teams. Really, really sick tonight… You don’t want the details. Probably was the chicken.

May 1, 2004
This was my first experience staying in a hostel, but I have to admit, it wasn’t that bad. We still didn’t have hot water but my bed was reasonable clean. We toured the Plaza de Armas in downtown Lima, where I bought a great purse and had lunch. Service in a restaurant is definitely different here. One person does all the ordering and you better order everything at first or good luck getting it later. In the afternoon, we visited the PCMO´s place in Lima for homemade Mexican food. She pulled out her old PC scrapbook and told us her stories of her service in Paraguay. It has been a great weekend of speaking English and eating “normal” food. Back to Santa Eulalia.

April 30, 2004
We went to Huacan again today to do a health fair. We had a great time working with the kids. Supposedly this area of Lima, is a lot like my site in Trujillo, so I was taking notes. The area was congested with lots of people, shops, and houses. The streets were mostly dirt and lots of graffiti on the walls. On our way back to the training center, we saw a group marching to Lima. This group of 6000+ farmers had marched from the jungle in northern Peru. They were headed to the capital to protest new laws restricting cocoa plant production. Ventured back to Lima to eat dinner and watch a movie at the APCD´s house. What a great setup, working for the American Embassy. They have strict limitations on where employees can live, so that means you get a great pad. We played badminton in the back yard, snacked on chips & salsa, ate salad and Pizza Hut Pizza. Afterwards, we checked in at a hostel and headed to Barronco and Miraflores, nice sections of Lima, for some night scenes.

April 29, 2004
I had my second language interview today. It went pretty good. My Spanish has to of improved, right? I have been living here for 7 weeks now. I ventured to Chosica this afternoon for internet and some ice cream.

2004-04-27T19:13:00.000-04:00

April 27, 2004
We took a feildtrip to Lima today to see the National Museum then had lunch at a ceviche place. All and all it was a good time -- great to get out of the training center for a little while.

April 25, 2004
Celebrated first thing this morning -- cold shower, finally! I went to Lima today with a friend. What a great day… Jockey Plaza (mall in Lima) should be sitting in downtown Atlanta. It’s a beautiful mall, with department stores, Payless Shoes, complete with a Starbucks. Yep, I couldn’t believe it either. I was in reverse culture shock when I walked in the place; I just couldn’t believe I was still in Peru. I had a French Vanilla Cappuccino, shopped, bought, ate a turkey sandwich, and had a great time feeling like an American (at least for a few hours!)

April 24, 2004
I haven’t slept this much in months. I have been able to sleep 12 hours a night here in CBT, must be my great sleeping bag. We helped make signs for the festival this morning. As we were walking down the street to the festival, a camera crew from the National TV station stopped us for an interview. I know…crazy! So, here I was talking in Spanish to a reporter with a TV camera in my face! Supposedly, it will be on TV in the morning. Just goes to show, Gringos are news here. The festival was hopping, tons of people from all over Peru head to the mountains for the annual festival. I had some great river fish for lunch and some chocolate cake for dessert. On the bus ride home, I got into a fascinating conversation with one of the school teachers from CBT. We talked about gender roles, psychology, marriage, and the differences in US and Peru. During our next visit to CBT, we are going to have a meeting with the teachers. I got home to find no water here… 4 days now without a bath.

April 23, 2004
I’m back at CBT. I’m staying with another trainee´s family (they couldn’t find another home stay) and I have to say it’s pretty bad. I can’t find an ounce of privacy anywhere. There are 10 kids in this family with a mom, plus me and the other trainee. The entire home has dirt floor and most of it is outside. There is a bathroom with a flush toilet, no shower, a sink in the “family” area, a wood burning stove for cooking. All I’ve managed to do is wash my face in the sink and brush my teeth a couple of times. There are two rooms in which everyone sleeps. We each have our own bed, and I only counted 4 others, so I’m not sure what the rest of the family is going to do. We’ve done 4 presentations at the schools and I believe they went well. We did self esteem activities and played a few games. All the kids know us now, so it’s cool when we venture outside. We immediately have kids holding our hands and generally crawling all over us! I am having some major stomach pain, probably shouldn’t have eaten that lettuce at lunch. It has been pretty cold here. We’ve taken several walks with the kids—to the cemetery, to the river, and just around town. I’ve even chatted with the kids about littering and self esteem. I am so ready to head to home for a bath! I haven’t been eating very well, just a lot of bread. The trip to the cemetery was interesting. Some of the graves were open. One of the kids, said that there are grave robbers looking for gold teeth and such. She also said it’s bad luck to look in the open graves. I saw my first pen of guinea pigs waiting to be cooked for supper. They were very fat and furry. Everyone was preparing the guinea pigs for this weekend’s Festival of the Chirimoya (native fruit of Peru).

April 20, 2004
What a day! I’ve already cried 2 times today. Homesickness, stress, and general bad-dayness will do that to you I guess. After my cry, I felt extremely better and I’ve made a resolution to run. Regular exercise is great for stress and it makes me feel good and I’ve been out of the habit sense heading to Peru. My friends here have really been there for me. I have to say they are some pretty great people. We vent with each other and we all have our days where we get upset. PC tells us it’s normal and to expect it, but the lows are not very fun! The highs definitely make up for them though and that is what gets me through. I led a team building activity today with my training group and it went well. As usual, I continue to learn things about myself and about others.

Crazy sights in Peru—women breastfeeding in public (leaves nothing to the imagination), everyone urinates in public (no need to find a tree/bush/hiding space), and they believe a cold/flu is caused from eating too many cold foods like ice cream.

April 19, 2004
I had another interview with the APCD today for my site placement. I believe it went well, I just told him the truth -- I would prefer a warm climate, an urban area, with modern amenities like water, lights, and internet. He said he had 2 places in mind for me, one in Trujillo working with the YMCA and one in Piura working with kids who are likely to be into drugs/gangs. I told him the site in Trujillo sounded more like me, so we’ll see. Heading to CBT again soon and I have to live with another family. I hope it’s ok! I played Frisbee with kids in the community today; most of the kids knew me from my session in their school. I am getting very anxious to get to my site, get to know my community, make friends, and settle in. Got a little homesick tonight -- I would like to just come home for about 6 hours, take a hot shower, see my loved ones, eat some great veggies, and head back out again.

April 18, 2004
I went to Lima today! It was a great time. We went to the beach just south of Lima. We walked and swam. I was definitely hesitant to get in the ocean (polution), but everyone was in the water and I didn’t want to seen weird…so I swam too. We ate lunch in a restaurant, which I could tell was a big thing for the family. It was absolutely scrumptious -- Roasted chicken, with fried potatoes, and salad. With a dressing, that was almost ranch. I couldn’t believe my luck. I have not been eating lettuce, since PCMO says it hard to clean properly and you are likely to get sick…but I did eat some of this salad and boy was it yummy! After lunch, we toured downtown. The downtown district is very Spanish colonial, mustard yellow paint, statues, museums, and park benches. I even saw a Pizza Hut, a Burger King, and a KFC. There for a second I thought I was back in the states! I had a very culturally faux pas moment. We visited a church which was very ornate with a golden altar. I didn’t hear the man say it, but my family said that he said we ought to be ashamed for coming to church in our street clothes. Then I crossed my legs while we were sitting and he was so embarrassed he left the service. Little did I know, you’re not to cross your legs in church! So, my whole family has laughed and laughed at me. I also experienced my first earthquake. It lasted for about 30 seconds and the people in the streets went crazy, screaming and running around. Nothing was damaged, but it was an experience.

April 17, 2004
Today’s Saturday but I had to go to school. What a bummer. We had language classes and a session on exactly what we will be doing as Youth Development Volunteers. I have another presentation next Tuesday and I’m also leading a team building session. (Thanks Niyelo!) So I´ll be doing homework this weekend. My mom taught me how to cook a Peruvian dish today. I had told her I am interested in learning, so she let me help out. It’s called Ahi de la Gallina...Chicken Spice...a chicken dish with red pepper and a bread like pudding. Interesting, different, and tasty!

April 16, 2004
We went to a shanty town area outside of Lima to work with an afternoon program for kids who work or don’t go to school. This is what they consider an urban youth project. Child labor is common, as is drug use, gangs, and violence. The kids were 6-12 years old. I had a blast! The program is from 3:00-5:00 in the afternoons and focuses on motivation and self esteem. We played games with the kids, sang songs, and mostly just acted like idiots! It was so fun. The kids were a little timid at first with all the Gringos but warmed up quickly and before I left I had to get a ton of kisses. If I were to be so lucky to be placed in a site like that program! I finally pin-pointed why I think this culture is so loving and great. They share absolutely everything. It is so beautiful really. That’s the meaning behind sharing the food I think. If anyone has anything, it is shared...completely. No matter how poor, everything is shared. It is so neat.

April 15, 2004
Getting to class this morning was an adventure in itself. The combi’s (public transportation) have decided to strike and protest. That means I had to cram into a taxi with 6 other Peruvians for a 10 minute ride to class. Most people couldn’t get to work or school because of the strike.

I went to a local school to do an activity on self esteem with a 5th grade class. Boy, was I stressed. There were 34 kids in one classroom. The activity was fun with lots of drawing and chatting. I don’t know what I would have done without the teacher. He was great and helped keep the kids in line and on task. At the end of the activity, it was neat to hear the kids tell me that they had never thought about stuff like “why I am important” or “who inspires me” before. So, even though it was stressful, I felt like I accomplished something.

I did a “Niyelo” activity with my language class, they thought it was cool. So, I’ve been asked to lead a session on Trust next week. Yeah! I’m excited.

April 14, 2004
Time is flying by! I’m in my forth week and I can’t believe it. Class has definitely been busy. I gave a presentation about Trujillo (a city in Peru) to the whole staff today. In Spanish! I feel good about it. I feel like the trainers throw so much info. at us and we never have time to work 100% on anything. I realize they only have 3 months to get us prepared for 2 years, but hey, it´s tough. I worked in our garden with the others this afternoon. We have learned how to make a bed, transplant, and water. I have enough more bug bites now. I look like a “Survivor” off the TV show. I have red spots all over me.

April 12, 2004
I’m not ready for another week of class! Alas, it’s here. This is my 4th week of PC training. Time is creeping by, I feel like I have been here for months. I bought a great pair of sandals. This guy in Chosica makes them by hand. He told me he studied shoe making in London for 2 years, so he speaks some English.

People eat/drink after each a lot here. In the market, if you want to try a salsa, just stick your finger in it. At meal times, anyone’s food is fair game. If you didn’t finish something, it’s almost rude to not offer it to someone else. And they don’t mind to pick up your fork to eat with either. They never eat at all with their fingers, always with silverware. That’s a problem for me, since I am used to eating chicken with my fingers! Drinks are passed around with pleasure. Somebody holds the bottle, and pours a small amount, drinks it. Then passes the glass, bottle, and somebody else does the same thing with just a small amount. It makes me want to pass around cups for everyone to use. But, no, they just need one. Nobody seems at all concerned about germs.

Gender roles are much defined here. Boys hang out with the boys and girls with the girls. Friends of the opposite seem to not exist. The kids in the town seem to be able to run around where they please, all hours of the day. They play at night in the park and are very trusting. Yet, it is seen as “bad” for a women, teen to walk by herself after dark. The ironies continue…

April 10, 2004
I got up early this morning to kick start the festival here. We hung the signs the kids had made about protecting the environment and not littering. We also marched in the parade along side the mayor. It was quite an honor. They announced our project over the loud speaker. So, all and all our project was a big success. I found a new friend. I never did quite get her name (some names here are impossible!), but she hung out with me all day. She was 11 years old and lived close to the town park. That’s common here with the kids, they are so curious about me. The Festival was fun—lots of booths of fruits, sweets, jewelry, clothing, and Panchamanca. Panchamanca is a Peruvian specialty. They dig a hole in the ground, put in chicken, corn, potatoes, and onions. Then they cover the whole thing with hot coals and dirt. Cooks for about an hour and ta-da an excellent dish! My family had a restaurant in our house for the weekend’s festivities. Many people come in from Lima to celebrate the Holy Week and to get away from the city.

I am working on a good farmer’s tan. The sun here is so bright, strong.

April 09, 2004
Mom’s Birthday. I’m thinking about you! Happy Birthday & I love you. I volunteered at another orphanage today; all girls, 31 in total, mostly older girls in adolescence. It was a little uncomfortable at first. They were watching TV and stopped to greet us all with a kiss. They were very sweet, just a little shy at first. We toured their home, which was very big and very clean. They had 3 big dogs that were ferocious. A 6-year-old was terribly scared of them. She was my fast friend. In fact, she cried when I told her I had to leave. I could tell she was absolutely starving for attention. They all need so much love.

After I got back home, nothing much was going on. My “mom” said that the priest had visited the house and brought holy water. I think it is a tradition in the town, for the Father to visit and bless each house during Holy Week

2004-04-09T14:41:00.000-04:00

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.

2004-03-08T11:29:00.000-05:00

About this time next week I will be landing in Miami, FL to begin my 2 days of staging. I can't believe it's only a week away. I'm so excited to begin this adventure. I would like to thank my friends and family for all the support they have given me. I definitely would not have found the courage to head to Peru without you all!

Much love to everyone.

2004-02-17T10:34:00.000-05:00

Staging:
My staging packet arrived! This is the last step in my joining the Peace Corps. On March 16, I will board Delta flight 1151 at 10:00 am to head to my staging event at the Omni Colonnade Hotel in Miami, Florida. The staging event is a 2-day orientation about what to expect in Peace Corps Peru. I will depart for Peru on March 18 at 11:50 pm and arrive in Lima at 5:30 am. Yeah, a red eye flight!

I can't tell you how excited I am! I'm really going... It seems so surreal.

2004-02-06T13:15:00.000-05:00

More info on Peace Corps Peru:

Peru 3: That's us! We have 15 people in our training group.
Electronics/Technology: Seems to separate volunteers from their community. Volunteer is thought of to be a "rich, foreign person". (Probably will be tough to get around that opinion in any case.) Should probably be cautious who you show/tell about valuables because of theft.
Sleeping Bag: a good quality sleeping bag is a necessity. Great for host family and for visiting sites during training.
Mail: It takes at least 10 days to receive mail. Packages should not be over 4 lbs. Customs goes through everything. Don't allow friends/relatives to send invaluables.
Visitors: Visitors are welcomed after completion of training + completion of 3 months at site. Inform PC of visitor's arrival. Opposite sex visitors can't stay in the same room as volunteer. Visitors shouldn't stay more than 2 weeks.
Food: Expect to eat a lot of carbs (potatoes, rice) and meat, and to possibly gain weight if not careful. Peruvians want you to eat a lot.
Sports: Volleyball and soccer are popular sports.
TEFL: Almost all volunteers teach English as a secondary project. Gives volunteer a way to "join" community.
Laundry: PCVs can pay someone to do their laundry. In training, there are "laundromats". When at your site, you may want to learn the process with your host family.
Host Family: The family that you live with is usually arranged by current PCVs in the area. You may also seek alternative host families, if you choose. PC will help in the process if need be.
Money: During training, you receive a daily allowance. In site, you receive about $300 per month. Which is said to be more than sufficient, with some left over. Banking accounts are available with ATM, Debits functions.
Converter: For electricity, you will need a converter.
Clothing: 1 dressy outfit for swearing in, business type clothes for training, less business-y (jeans) for site. A good rain coat and fleece are a necessity.

2004-01-09T09:27:00.001-05:00

Here's what I've found out about...

Water and bathing -
everyone's situation is different. I have a cold shower in the health post in my village that I use if absolutely necessary. Usually, I heat up a bucket of water and bucket bathe. That is what a lot of people do, I think, in service and during training. Few houses have hot water, but those that do have electric showers. I brought a solar shower with me, but don't really use it.

Clothing -
since I bathe about once or twice a week, I change my clothes about once or twice a week, too. I wear jeans and long sleeved shirts mostly. In the Andes, it is hot during the day and cold and rainy in the afternoon and night. I would make sure to bring a good fleece and a good raincoat. Also, a pair of hiking boots that is waterproof. It really depends on where you will be placed- I don't think that those in Piura get much rain. But in Ancash/Huaraz, we get a lot.

Mail -
while in training, you'll receive mail at the training center. Once in your site, all of the nearby volunteers share a PO Box in the regional city. Mail can take anywhere from 10 days to 2 months to arrive. Letters almost always get here, but packages can be a crapshoot. I have received a lot of packages, but three have been lost in the mail. Never make them over 4 pounds or they are really expensive and you will have to pay customs taxes on them. Also, if the contents are new or expensive (ex. Discman), customs might keep 8it as a Christmas present. Tell people not to send anything that they or you would be devastated if it didn't make it to you.

2004-01-05T10:51:00.000-05:00

Hello! I just received emails from my fellow Peru Youth Development group members. How exciting!! We all received an email from the Peru Director welcoming us to the program. She reminded us that we are the FIRST Youth Development Program to enter Peru, with only 2 other programs there now. Quoting her, "We are very proud of the new program and very pleased with the welcome PC has received throughout the country." She also mentioned that if any of my friends or family members have questions, feel free to contact her at kraftery@pe.peacecorps.gov

.

2003-12-09T16:21:00.000-05:00

Looks like the weather is going to be pretty nice in Lima for my three months of training. After that, the weather will depend on where I am posted. If I'm in the Andes in central Peru, then the days are warm (the sun is really strong), but the afternoons are really rainy and cold. If I'm in northern Peru, near Ecuador, then it will be mostly warm. My contacts tell me you can buy anything you need in Lima. Lima has a mall just like the states called Jockey Plaza, with prices that are a bit higher. That certainly reassures me on the pressures of packing.

2003-12-02T09:39:00.000-05:00

In my search for information of travelling to Peru, it looks like I'll need a hiker's backpack and rolling duffle bag for packing. Most of the advice I've received says that I should be able to carry all I bring. How in the world do you pack for 2 years and be able to carry it on your back?

My contact in Peru says that she is about 35 minutes from the city of Huaraz where she has access to email and phones. I guess that's better than NO access, right?

2003-11-19T10:47:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone. News from Peru -- I will be eating a lot of rice, potatoes, and guinea pig! What is a guinea pig, anyway? Probably tastes like chicken, right? She said to bring a good sleeping bag, too...

2003-11-14T16:05:00.000-05:00

I received a current Peace Corps Peru Volunteer's email address from the Peru desk at HQ. I sent her a message today. Maybe I'll get some good info about what is in store for me!

2003-11-05T11:14:00.000-05:00

The Peru Desk at Peace Corps Headquarters called to let me know that my departure date has changed... I'm leaving March 16, 2004. Definitely, a bummer. I want to leave today!!

2003-11-04T10:22:00.000-05:00

Hello! As you probably already know or heard, I've joined the Peace Corps. And I'm extremely excited to be going to Peru, February 2004. It has been an arduous and often-times frustrating application process. I've actually been working on this endeavor since March 2002, prior to my college graduation. But it is only now in the last couple of weeks, that I've received information of my placement.

I will venture to Lima, Peru on February 20, 2004 for 3 months of intensive training as a Youth Development Facilitator. As the third group of Volunteers to re-enter Peru in more than 28 years, it will be challenging because of the lack of local knowledge of Peace Corps' mission and role in a community. I will serve in Peace Corps Peru for 2 years.

They (Peace Corps Staff) tell me that Peru is a beautiful and diverse country, about the size of Alaska. 60 percent of the population is under the age 25. Peru suffers from extreme poverty, low levels of education, and massive urban migration. I will be working with a high-risk population to primarily carry out educational activities. I will probably be working with local schools, health centers, and non-governmental agencies to strengthen education, life skills, and employability. I will probably be placed in a rural community and live with a family during my entire service. This policy exists so volunteers can fully integrate into the community and to enhance safety. I will more than likely have electricity and running water.

Thank you for your continued thoughts, prayers, and support. When the time comes, please feel free to visit me in South America!!

2003-11-04T09:41:00.000-05:00

My hope for this website is to keep friends and family updated about my plans of serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru.