Tuesday, July 26, 2011

My Replacement

Unbeknownst to me, while I was away, my room had been subleased for perhaps the entire week. After my 8 hour overnight bus ride and a taxi ride from Lima, all I wanted for Sunday was to come home, change my clothes, and rest. This plan was overthrown the moment my intruder was discovered. It happened at about 11:30am. While trying to extract some trousers from my clothes shelf, I found him...or her, not sure. My first glimpse was the arm... then the tail. I freaked. I screamed. I ran for Arturo. He's 5. My screaming and jumping scared him. I had to go for Efraín. Within moments, it was all over. There was shouting, banging, and before I knew it, there were guts all over my floor. The verdict: a scorpion. When I stepped out for the week, he crawled in. 

My host sister tried to stop Efraín from killing it, which I didn't understand. Later, I learned that when you find a scorpion, it's a sign that fortune is in your fortune. But if you kill it, you will lose fortune. Hmm. Technically, I didn't kill it... 

I have been a paranoid mess all week. My clothes, shoes, and any other earthly possession is shaken profusely before it's use. I hope these creatures don't settle in packs. There is so much I have to learn. What I've gathered from the locals is that scorpions are kind of like the mice of South America, sort of. But they sting. And hide in your clothes. Crap. I get the willies just writing this. Any advice is welcome. Any comments that would spark cringing and worrying are strictly prohibited. 

Just another piece of the adventure. Thank God for brave little boys. 

Dr. Meer Would Be So Proud

On the third day of Field Based Training, I somehow landed in a project that hits close to home--- dental hygiene. 

Those of you who know me well may be familiar with the 12 or so cavities I had filled and the 4 root canals I've had within the past 2 years. I think it was 12 cavities... maybe 14. After awhile, you just lose count. Anyway, I saw my dentist perhaps more than I saw my own siblings last year. This kind of situation makes one care about what's going on with the pearly whites. For example, I came to Peru with at least $100 worth of prescription toothpaste, 6 toothbrushes (one that I carry in my backpack at all times), and plenty of floss. Since being here, I've sought out mouthwash with fluoride, I've hit up the medical officers for free floss, and I've convinced Joe to send me more floss and my retainer. I care about dental health... a whole lot. In case you weren't around for the rough dental days, or don't remember, here's a little flashback- 

The Hotness. 


So it is no wonder that teaching kids to brush their teeth was something that I loved. It was one of those things that you don't realize is awesome until it's happening. On Monday night our whole group was asked to choose a topic to discuss with the kids the following day: toothbrushing, hand washing, self esteem, or the environment. Of my group of three that I worked with last week, I was the only one there to choose for us from these topics. Making a split decision so that we didn't end up with environment, I shouted "toothbrushing!" I don't know why I didn't want to teach environment stuff that day, or what pushed me toward dental cleanliness, but it was the right choice. 

Tuesday morning on our way to Tumpa, the site of this activity, I made a last minute list of words I thought I might need. After interrogating a few native/ experienced speakers, I was ready. I wish I could have captured the looks on the faces of those innocent people I frantically approached sputtering, "how do you say 'gums?' 'Bristles?' 'Germs?'" Sigh. One of these days, I will stop being such a Gringa. 

The next thing I knew I was hiking about a mile away from the rest of our group with my 2 counterparts and our host Veronica, the current volunteer in Tumpa who was helping us with this session. We quickly learned that we were going to a 2 room classroom up the mountain. The classroom we would work with was for children ages 6-11. 

Flash forward about 15 minutes and I'm standing in front of a room full of kids desperately trying to explain, in Spanish of course, the concept of cavities. my method of choice was drawing a "plaque monster" on the chalkboard. I think I failed in my mission. My "plaque monster" looked like an amoeba with feet. The idea of germs digging holes in their teeth seemed to go over a little better, but maybe by then they just learned that nodding would make the Gringa stop talking. Who knows?... 

In the midst of my failed attempt to relay the gravity of this issue, I was carried back to the days of my youth in curiosity of how I first learned this stuff. Soon, I was drifting off into a memory of a poorly animated cartoon and a giant toothbrush. For the past week, I've been wondering about what's on YouTube in terms of cartoon educational tooth videos in Spanish and how I can get my hands on a giant toothbrush. If you have any suggestions, let me know. I could use some resources on this one.

Following my sophisticated lecture was the fun part of the day: toothbrushing! The health post gave us toothbrushes/ paste to give the kids so we split them up in groups and taught each one of them how it was done. To my surprise, most of them had no idea how to hold a toothbrush or what to do first. They caught on quickly and did great. I will not soon forget the looks on their faces when they felt a toothbrush in their mouths for the first time. We showed them their teeth in mirrors during and after the brushing, and you could see the curiosity in their eyes. Later, most of them admitted that they had never done this before. After I had decided that they would all be too shy to ask questions, this adorable little girl approached me and asked in a near whisper how to best care for her teeth from now on. I was touched. She got an ear full of suggestions on what to do. By the time I was done with her, we accumulated an entire crowd of her friends. This time instead of just nodding, they listened intently and asked more questions. It was great. The next morning I woke up wondering how many of them had brushed their teeth the night before or that morning. If the answer was even one, I'd be tickled. 

Now I just need to somehow acquire some tooth videos, or a tooth suit to wear, or some sort of captivating props to improve my next session. The informative piece of the talk needs some work. Overall though, I feel good about this one. Just doing a little bit of life changing... just another day at the office. lol 

Fun Facts: Week 6

Announcement: I have a new niece!!! Hooray :) That puts me up to 6! 
Random Fact: I ate guinea pig.
Up next: Site assignments are on August 3rd. My home for the next 2 years will be known in little more than 1 week. Can't come soon enough. I just want to know... Stay tuned. 


Field Based Training in Ancash

Sorry for the blog neglect last week. I was without internet, as I was in the beautiful department of Ancash. Here you have all that you were missing last week :)

Day by day recap-

Sunday: Arrive in Huaraz (Capital City) at 6:30am. Breakfast of delicious crepes at this adorable cafe own by a lovely couple from California. 

Lose bank card. Spend the rest of the day cursing at myself for forgetting my new pin number and feeding my card to the ATM. 

Monday: Teach English: success. My group of 3 for this project used a game from my high school Spanish class where the students swat words on the marker board with a fly swatter to practice new vocab words. The teacher liked this activity so much that she asked for our fly swatters so that they could repeat this game. Win! Learned a lot with this lesson and felt a lot more comfortable managing a classroom. 

English Lesson. I bribe with candy. 


Eat Guinea Pig: Sort of a success. I did it. Even with the little paw attached, caught outstretched in it's final plea for salvation. I watched these little guys get 'plucked,' gutted, and prepared. Tastes like chicken. Will not be a repeat 'treat.' 

Cuy, aka guinea pig


Meet the world's fastest kid: Done. His name was Alexis. I stumbled upon him in an afternoon of games for neighborhood kids in Jangas. Every time I had the pleasure of being chosen to tag, chase, or capture another human I chose him. Eventually I wore him down and caught him, it took some work though. Later he told me he runs with his dad in the mornings when he's not helping his mom in the kitchen and he has a 2 week old little sister. My favorite friend of the day. I like kids who facilitate my multi-tasking of running and working at the same time. I need to squeeze in a good run whenever I can here. 

Tuesday: Teach children how to brush their teeth for the first time ever: Done. Will write a full entry on this later. One of the coolest things I've done here so far. 

Swim in a thermal bath: Check. The water looked weird, but felt great. As described by Matt, it was like falling into the pool in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory...

Thermal Baths


Wednesday: Trust falls and a quick volleyball tourney with local youth: Yes. The boys of that school even taught me how to head but a soccer ball. Big win! 

Thursday: Reproductive health/ pregnancy prevention session with teenagers: success. Afternoon session with parents of a different town about self esteem, sex, HIV/ AIDS, teen pregnancy, etc: big win. I got a chance to dig out my acting skills from days past for these sessions. It was great to see both the kids and the parents so engaged in these sessions. We also made cookies for lunch to practice altitude cooking. Good day. 

My team for the week.


Friday: Glacial lake visit: huge win. The rest of the day: huge fail. Friday and Saturday I was out with a bacterial infection. My itinerary was as follows: sleep, bathroom, gatorade, bathroom, sleep, repeat. Thank God for antibiotics. I went to the glacial lakes in the morning, which was an amazing experience. Crystal blue water, gorgeous mountain viewing, pure group bonding time ;) I was glad I went, but ended up spending a large chunk of our time there in the combi resting. After a windy and nauseous 2 hour descent from the lakes to our next site, I headed back to the hostel where I spent the remainder of the day. 

Shot from the glacial lakes. Photo credit: Katy Halasz


Saturday: Breakfast: fail. Half a bagel proved too difficult to eat. Went to the bank for a new card, retired to the hostel for the rest of the day. When evening came I treated myself to some Ramen, which was amazing by the way, then boarded the bus back to Lima after bidding farewell to the beautiful mountains of Ancash. 

Great times were had, good things were learned, and I hope to return with anyone who wants to visit me! 

New Friends! 

Just another day at the office :)

Monday, July 25, 2011

It Happened in Week 4

I had avoided any sort of US food cravings for 1 month. Then one day, while minding my own business, it snuck up and attacked. It was week 4. I was on a combi. Like a ton of bricks, it hit me. CHEESE CURDS. I had to have them. Fresh, salty, pure, naked curds. That's what I wanted. The beautiful little orange ones that are so fresh the bag is still warm. The kind of delicious Wisconsin treat that loves you so much it squeaks. Why oh why was this happening to me? Why couldn't I crave Lays potato chips or Snickers or something else that I could find at the local Plaza Vea? Or even a standard snack like M&M's or something that can be sent? Why must it be the most unattainable food of the Southern Hemisphere? Eff. 

Since that wretched day, I have thought of nothing but cheese. Cheese curds. Cheese spread. String cheese. Breaded cheese curds. Cheese wheels. Cheese crumbles. Cheese wedges. The bountiful Brie my kitchen used to greet me with after work. The shredded cheese I would steal from Joe's fridge when he wasn't around. The cheese that Bill gets fresh for family events, then slices so thinly that it crumbles in your mouth. All I want is Wisconsin cheese. Or foreign cheese. Or aged cheese. Maybe I should request a cow for my site. Or a goat. A visit home next summer just got another item on the "do it" list inside my head... Cheese. 

ANCASH

Highlights- Warm showers, wool socks, mountains, awesome projects with great people, glacial lakes, copious amounts of ice cream, practical experience, thermal baths, so much more. 
Not highlights- ATM eating my bank card, falling victim to a wretched bacterial infection, knowing that I probably won't get to live in Ancash. 

Full recap coming soon! 



Fun Facts: Week 5

Good: Lunch with the Yanacoto gang for Kimberly's birthday. Awesome brownies, courtesy of the birthday girl. Hike to the hieroglyphics and around the mountains of Yanacoto. A cell phone! Peru victory in the Copa America. Harry Potter 7 part 2 in Lima after some Pizza Hut. Preparation for a week long trip to Ancash... 
Bad: Diarrhea Round 2 
Unexpected: Free day off of training Wednesday due to a transportation strike. An appreciated break. 

Shot from our hike. This is where I live :)

Friday, July 15, 2011

Ancash!

Hey friends!

I'll be away from the blog next week. Going to the department Ancash for Field Based Training tomorrow through the following Sunday. I'm not anticipating a lot of internet access and just wanted to let you all know. Really looking forward to the week ahead and to discovering some more of this beautiful country!!!

Happy birthday to Bridgie on Sunday!

Have a great weekend/ week!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Pictures?

Facebook Pics!
Most of you are on facebook, so you've probably seen these. But if you're not (Bridget), here you go! 

Monday, July 11, 2011

Words of Wisdom from Efraín

Last Sunday, Efraín requested a running race. I'm not even sure if there was a winner at all. Our races end up being guided walks of Yanacoto with Efra as my guide. He knows some nice views. We wound up swinging at a playground near our house and he told me that when I'm feeling sad or upset, I should go to this playground. When I asked him why, he explained that he had heard that when girls get upset about things, they eat an entire bucket of ice cream. Instead of eating ice cream, he thinks I should just go to the playground and play, then I might feel better. Naturally, I asked where he had heard this. His response? Homer J. Simpson. Lol. We decided that Homer (or Homero in Spanish ;) is an imbecile and that if I am sad, I should both go to the playground AND eat ice cream. Now there's a solution I can handle :) Ah, the world in the eyes of a 9 year old. I love it. 

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Fun Facts: Week 4--- A Week In Pictures

I'm not feeling clever enough this evening for a fun facts post, but I don't want to drop the ball on it in week 4, so I give you a week in pictures. Enjoy!



Monday: July 4th Picnic


                                  
        Thursday: Package from Joe!!! Chocolate, gum, caramels, Luna Bars, etc.
                                               Awesome little treat =)



Friday: Peru victory over Mexico in the Copa America! 


                                                                
                             Saturday: Hiking trip to a little waterfall :)


             Sunday: I made pancakes for the host fam. Big win with the little brothers.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Things I do now that I didn't before...

Give and receive directions in relation to Jesus. "Go 2 blocks right from Cristo Blanco..." It's a statue, but has become our local compass. 
Hear the same J-Lo song at least 6 times daily.
Read 501 Spanish Verbs like it's a tabloid. Seriously. I was recently given my 3rd copy of this book and it's already worn more than my high school and college editions combined. 

Wear a headlamp to the bathroom. 

Stare at mountains. 

Watch the Disney channel in excess... and enjoy it. Little secret- Disney Junior has basic vocabulary... meaning I can follow an entire show in Spanish without getting caught up on a random word, then getting lost. I never thought I would enjoy Olivia, Mickey and Friends, Los Hechiceros de Lugar Waverly, and Jake y Los Piratas, but I do. It's a great way to familiarize myself with grammar/ idioms, etc. AND I'm spending time with Arturo. Surprising little win with the Disney channel. Arturo has an awesome laugh and he loves it when Goofy, Mickey, and Donald dance. I should make a video of this sometime. 

Eat copious amounts of avocados. I love every one of them. 

Watch soccer because I want to. Aside from the Olympics, The Winter X-Games, and American football, I usually only watch televised sports if I'm sitting next to Joe. Not anymore ;) Soccer really is the beautiful game. Now if only I could play...

Cross the street as if I were training for an obstacle course. 

Appreciate toilet paper. 

Drink soda. Tastes way better without the corn syrup. Don't tell my dentist...

Mentally prepare myself for showers. There is only one temperature for showers here: frigid. Lately, I've been sneaking into the kitchen after I shower to put my hands over the stove and regain feeling in my fingers. 

Hear little gems like "Killing Me Softly" and Bryan Adams tunes in their Spanish versions. 

See over the bathroom stall doors when standing in a normal position from inside the stall. I'm not a tall person, but in Peru I feel tall. I'm so 'tall' here that my head sometimes pokes over the bathroom stall doors. I'm still amused by this. 

This list reflects month 1 and shall be amended and added to at a later date as my trip progresses...

Cristo Blanco in the back. 

Saturday, Sunday, Monday

Last Saturday we visited an organization that provides a place for children who work in the street to go and learn/ play. Kind of like a Boys and Girls Club for underprivileged/ at risk children. It was very eye-opening to see the reality for these kids, but at the same time it was exciting to see why we are here and what we can do to help. Our group played soccer with them for a little while and talked to the staff. The area these kids work in is the most dangerous area of Lima. Walking through their market was an experience I won't forget. It was nice to spend some time with the kids and see the type of work our group is here for. I'm looking forward to seeing more organizations like this and am starting to get really excited about the job I'm here to do. Saturday morning well spent. 

Sunday I hung out with the family and got caught up on random things. Ran 5 miles, spent some time with Efraín (the 9 year old host brother), watched some Disney movies with the kids, had a nice lunch, etc. Efraín thinks he can beat me in running race, which he can't so far... I think he's started an epic battle. I feel we will be racing until I leave. If I had any morals I'd let him win, but the runner inside of me is losing more and more  dignity each day with the amount of chocolate I eat here. To save the runner within, I couldn't stage a loss. I'll keep you all updated on this situation. He cheats to win. It was a very relaxing day and some time well spent with the host family. 

Monday was a day of fun and sports to celebrate the Fourth. Our Youth Development group and the Small Business Development group got together for the first time since our arrival here to relax and celebrate the holiday. It was a really nice day. That night I watched the Peru vs. Uruguay game of the Copa America with my host family, which was also really nice. Game was a tie. Makes me more anxious for Friday's game vs. Mexico. I like watching soccer. My soccer skills, or lack thereof, are another story altogether...

Monday night I was also able to call home to wish Mom and Dad a happy Fourth. Sounded like they were having fun with the kids and it was great to talk to Mom for a few minutes. Looking forward to Skyping with the parents again soon. I love Skype and am taking full advantage of internet while I can. If you want to chat on Skype, let me know and we can make a date. Frequency of blog posts may drop off in about a month, but thanks for stopping by until then. So happy to see how many views I'm getting. I feel so loved :)

Tuesday Times

Went to Lima today for a trip to the The National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru in the morning and an afternoon at the Peace Corps Headquarters in Surco. The day was a big win for me. Museum was bomb. I was in ceramic heaven. I saw things there that I had studied in the ceramics class I took in 2009 and had only ever read/ heard about. It was fabulous. Like living a page of National Geographic. It was a reminder of how cool Peru is, as if I would ever forget that- which I won't. The longer I'm here, the further I fall in love with this country. The area around the museum was really cute and confirmed my fandom of Lima. It's not the coolest city in the world, but it knows that and doesn't try too hard. Admirable. 

At the Peace Corps office I picked up my mosquito net and scored some floss off the medical officers. We got to meet some more staff members and learn some things about our program and further logistics. Cell phones are on the horizon... exciting news :) I am convinced the Peru program is one of the best. The more I see of it, the more I like it. The rate of volunteer extensions (for in-country service), the obvious staff satisfaction, and the way training has been run so far speaks volumes. 

After our business was tended to at the office, we made a quick run to Starbucks. It isn't a Lima trip without a latte ;) Great day. Good enough to blog about. Hope everyone's Tuesday back after the long weekend went by pain free. Until next time...




Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy 4th!


Cake we got at our 4th of July picnic today :)

Hope you all had a great holiday. Missing you today, but loving Peru. Have a great week! 

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Yanacoto

It's about time I say something about the place I call home these days. As I've mentioned earlier, I live in a community called Yanacoto, about 35 minutes by combi from our training center. I want to write about it because I want to share how much I enjoy living here. Aside from the gorgeous scenery, the best thing about Yanacoto is the sense of community. The people here are the kind of people who greet you with a "hello" or "good morning/ good evening" every time they see you. Even if you're a gringa doing something crazy like running around in athletic clothing. This community is very accustomed to us trainees, as they have hosted us for some time now. The ladies in the bodegas and the fellows at the internet cafe are always eager to ask how I'm doing and how things are going, how I'm liking the climate, the culture, etc. I feel very welcome and safe here, and that's awesome. I know I'll only be here for about 7 more weeks, but it is a pleasure living here and I'm really happy to have been placed with the family I live with in the community of Yanacoto. 

An example- Last Thursday when I was sick, I went to the bodega two houses down from mine for some Gatorade, animal crackers, and spare toilet paper... just in case, of course. Toilet paper is often not supplied in public restrooms here, so it's best to always be prepared. Can't fault someone for being proactive. Anyway, Irene is the lady who runs this bodega and she is very sweet. When I asked her for my needed items, she gave me a questioning look with the hint of a smirk. I thought she was going to make a comment about the toilet paper or not understand the way I say Gatorade here. I still haven't mastered the Spanish pronunciation of the word "Gatorade," no one ever knows what I'm asking for; they say it differently here and it throws me off every time. I was wrong. The point she was making was better than I could anticipate. Animal crackers here are called animalitos... and this is what set off her sense of humor. After tossing me that suspicious smirk she said, "You can't have animalitos. You're a vegetarian." My first thought was, 'how the hell did she know I was a vegetarian?' Then I remembered that this is Yanacoto, and she lives 2 houses away from me. I'm sure she knows everything there is to know at this point. Here's where my Greenwood roots come in handy. It doesn't bother me at all that she knows things about me. In fact, it kind of makes me feel appreciated in a weird way. My second thought was, 'Dude, that was really clever. Irene is someone I should know.' So there you have it. My new friend and her sense of humor. This is just one example of how fantastic the people have been so far. I'm in good hands. 


MAIL!!!

Thank you to Sara and Al for the wonderful mail this week. Both pieces of mail arrived on Thursday, but I didn't get them until Friday, as I left training early on Thursday due to illness. Sara, your card is very charming and I will write back soon. I'm very impressed you fit so much on that little card. Nice Work! 

Al, thanks a boatload for the wedding invite! I'm glad you sent it here and I'm proud to own the farthest traveled invitation ;) I'm pretty bummed I'll be missing your big day. Know I'll be thinking of you that day. It's been such a long time coming and it's been a pleasure to be a part of the Al & Brad extravaganza since way back in 2005 in the days of Knutzen Hall. Ah, college. Doesn't feel like it was that long ago already. Wow. Anyway, the invitations are very preeetty, as I'm sure everything will be come wedding day. I am working on my kind response prior to August 6th ;)

SICK :(

I've been wanting to get sick during training, to ready my system for life in el campo, while I still have some amenities and conveniences that I may not have in the future. It happened this week, which I think is a good thing. Tuesday through Friday I had diarrhea and stomach pains which I feel are best described as a feeling of having a baby alien in my belly who was very angry. After 48 hours, lots of animal crackers/ gatorade, and a few nights of very bad sleep*, I started taking antibiotics on Friday morning and was very quickly feeling loads better. Our doctors here are fantastic and everyone here is so kind. Knowing that everyone cared so much made being sick a piece of cake. 


I'm writing about this so that if/ when Mom hears that I was sick she has this as a reference and can see that I am/ was fine and she has nothing to worry about :)



*Note on the 'very bad sleep': There were many night-time trips to el baño that kept me awake this week. None was worse than the 4am jaunt on Thursday morning. The dog, Benji, sleeps just outside my door. I woke him up. Benji woke up the dove. The dove woke the neighbor's rooster. It was all over from there. 

Fun Facts: Week 3

High: Mail! Thanks Sara Strem and Miss Alyssa Gaedtke!  I have to use Al's maiden name while I still can :)
Low: Diarrhea :( Thank God for antibiotics. Silver lining? This led me to discover that they have Gatorade in Peru. Win! Definitely helped me along this week. 
Medium: Had my first veggie burger here. Not bad. Shall be yet another repeat treat :)

What I learned this week: Birthday parties here are much like those in the US. I went to Ali's little sister's 6th birthday party earlier in the week. Food was fabulous, company was great. Good-time fun was had by all.