Cookies With Little Man!

Last week while in Lima, I made some beautiful chocolate chip oatmeal cookies for the host fam while I had access to a nice oven and real measuring tools in the big city. They didn't believe me when I said I made them myself, so I got stubborn and took Piere to the market to buy ingredients and do it again. Trouble is, I don't have measuring spoons/ cups here and our cookies were not so beautiful. But we had fun in the process :)

Step 1- Guess on the ingredients. This will involve improvising, eyeballing, and wishing you could call Elaine Nigon. 

Step 2- Let Piere take awful pictures of you. It's only fair for the amount I take of him. 

Step 3- Make your own chocolate chips! Adults handle the knife, children wash their hands and break apart the Triangulo bar. 

Step 4- Form dough balls. Try not to eat dough. Remind yourself not to traumatize Piere the way Bridget traumatized me as a child by telling me that the dough you eat explodes inside your tummy. Hahaha. 

Step 5- Wait.

Step 6- Keep waiting. 

Step 7- Entertain yourselves while you wait. 

Step 8- Keep entertaining.

Step 9- Remove cookies from oven and enjoy! Then answer to everyone why they look like pancakes and promise to try again next weekend... 

Bingo in the Plaza

Hey friends- Sorry I haven't written in awhile. Here is an older post about Friday night Bingo that I wrote last week and forgot to post for you. Busy times these days. Fewer blog posts and even fewer patience to try to upload pictures with my ever decreasing internet access...  

Yesterday I was one G53 and one I16 away from winning a sack of rice. Damn. So close. It was Bingo day in Ascope and I thought I'd be lucky this time. 

Every few months we have town Bingo in the Plaza de Armas (town center) in attempts of raising money to repair the town's cathedral which has a big ugly bald spot on one of its giant domes. Piere loves Bingo. When a Bingo day is coming up, our whole house hears about it for days in advance. 

A couple weeks ago on a lazy Saturday, we were supposed to have Bingo. The whole town was talking about it. Little Man and I even practiced by playing Bingo with his home set that morning... I told you, we had a lot of downtime and days without electricity in the beginning of this month ;) But then Saturday Bingo was postponed for some reason, much to Piere's dismay. Lucky for me, it was moved to last night. 

For random circumstances, I was away from Ascope for a few days this week. When I got back yesterday afternoon, Bingo had just started. I knew Piere would be there. Instead of going home upon my arrival in Ascope, I went right to the plaza to look for him and the rest of the host family. I didn't even make it across one side of the plaza before Little Man came running towards me screaming "BREEEEEETTTT YOU'RE BACK!!!" He even followed it up with a tackle hug. So great. Immediately he instructed me to go home and get the Bingo card he had given me the first time around when Bingo got cancelled. I had given it back to him, but he saved it for me just in case I got done with my meeting yesterday on time to make it back for Bingo. Adorable. 

We didn't win, but we came close. It's just fun for me to watch the event and see everyone from town all in one place socializing and relaxed. Bingo is fun. The prizes are always similar, but always useful and desired. This time they were a bottle of cooking oil, a sack of sugar, a sack of rice, 50 soles, 100 soles, and 150 soles (around $55 USD). Oh, and when we got up to 2nd prize, 100 soles, so many people won that by the time the prize was split, the winners walked away with 9 soles each... roughly $3 USD. When that happened, Piere was like, "Ha. I didn't need that anyway." Hahaha. Gotta love Bingo day. And Piercito. 

Mid-Service Crisis?

"If you work in international politics or development and do not have an intellectual and existential crisis every year, then something is wrong."

 -Chris Blattman

This post might be a little different than what I usually post. Normally, I'm blabbing about being happy in an excited tone, or I'm talking about great things and being as positive as possible. Don't worry, I'm not planning on writing you a Sad Panda Negative Nancy woe-is-me kind of post. I just want to share a very honest, realistic side of Peace Corps. Sometimes I think my blog is a dishonest representation. I talk about fun trips and show off great packages I get from home. If I left out the tough times of Peace Corps, one might think all I do is go on fun adventures and get presents in the mail. That's not fair or true. So while this is sort of more personal than I like to get online, I think its the right thing to do. 

I think I might have just had what they call a mid-service crisis. Maybe its still happening, maybe it'll come back and hit me harder in a few days or weeks, I don't know. What I do know is that it sucked. After talking to others from my group, though, I think this is normal and I'm feeling a lot better knowing that I'm not in this alone. 

It hit me a couple of weeks ago. I had been away from my community for awhile helping out with the training of the new group of youth development volunteers. When I came back, everyone one else was out of town and schools were closed for two weeks for winter break. Unfortunate timing that I thought I had prepared myself for, but I was wrong. Random little things like my internet not working, no electricity in my house during the daytime hours all week, no water, a post office strike, and other random things didn't help either. I had thought that I would use the winter break to get caught up on things online, overdue laundry, and other random tasks. But with no power to use my computer, no light to see anything in my room, and no water to do laundry, I was left to play countless games of Uno with Piere. That part turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Thank goodness for Piere. Best friend I have in Ascope, easily. And yeah, you might think I'm a baby for whining about little things like that. Most other Peace Corps volunteers don't have those conveniences ever, I know... 

...but I digress. Basically I've been in my site for almost a year and I feel like I should have more to show for it. This year flew by, and from what I hear, the next one will go even faster. I have one year left and a pile of things I want to complete. On top of that, I still have no plan for my life post Peace Corps. I know that things move slowly in Peru, and in development. I trust the process and I think I'm probably doing fine. But there is that nagging doubt that I could be doing more, or I could be doing better. And that damn doubt, it attacks when I don't have enough keeping me busy. The fact that I have been away from my classes and counterparts for so long doesn't help. Just a lot of things at once, kind of like a perfect storm. It might sound petty, that's kind of how it looks when I see it in writing here, but it sucked. 

I know people ask themselves questions all the time about where they are in life and if they've made the right choices, but never have I had those questions occupy my brain more than they do during a Peace Corps low. Being here is great and probably one of the best things I have ever done. But there is always that dreaded question of "is it worth it?" 

97% of the time, I would say yes to that question with honesty and sincerity. But that 3% accounts for times like the beginning of this month, when I just wasn't quite sure. I'm gonna do my best to keep it at 3% where I feel like that. I hope these slumps only last for a few weeks at a time. Time is a precious thing, and I want to use mine as best as I can. I want to know that its worth it. That my time here is being spent well and that I am focussing on the right things. 

That said, I will explain how things got better: Piere. My strategies for dealing with stress/ sadness/ anything else are usually running, wine, and talking to friends. When I can't do those things, or have already done them and am still sad, what can I do? Play Uno. Dominate Rock Paper Scissors. Watch the Simpsons in Spanish. Play foosball with a 6 year old who cheats. Accidentally teach said 6 year old how to swear in English. Shill corn with my host grandma until I get blisters. That's what I can do :) Really, I think part of what it was is that I was missing Piere and the rest of my favorite folks in Ascope. So lately I've been forcing myself on people because I've missed them. The reactions have been alright. Really, I don't think they mind, perhaps I'm not really forcing anything after all. 

In the end, I think its like this- in a few years I will remember the things I just mentioned before I remember meetings I went to and classes I taught. I will remember Piere at my side all day making up games and quizzes for me. My 10 year old neighbor Maria with her new puppy Beethoven. Renzo, Natalie, and Diego coming out of their house next door to chat with me every time I walk past. That's why I'm here. That's what makes this worth it. So its alright. Its not always easy to see that. But its the truth: everything is alright, and on most days, its better than alright. 

So yeah, it's been a bit of a slump time for me lately, but its better now and I just wanted to share. People always ask how I'm doing, which I love. I, like most everyone else, will give a short response. But this is the long answer. One year in, this is how I am- I am well, I am happy, and I am experiencing everything I was told I would. Its not always easy, but its not always that hard either. Its great... 97% of the time ;) 

And with that I will leave you with these photos. Evidence of the time Little Man and I have been spending together. 

Him not having school right now + me having less work to do at the moment = stuff like this...

:) 

What's better than Rock Paper Scissors?

Rock Paper Scissors and Photo Booth! 

(He won... that time ;)

"Breet, remember those funny pictures we took? That was awesome."

-Little Man, about an hour after this random Friday night photo shoot. 

Worth it :)

July Recap

I don't have a lot to report on July. All of the big stuff has already been posted here: Pacasmayo 21K, July 4th party, week in Yanacoto (Lima), Field Based Training in La Libertad, and the jungle trip. All other items are detailed below, but I don't have much to report other than what you already know... 

-July was a lot cooler, thank goodness. It is finally comfortable and not unbearable hot around these parts. I actually really enjoy the "cold" weather here, it feels a lot like fall weather in Wisconsin. Cool, refreshing sweatshirt weather. 

-I am continually amused by the winter attire of the locals- big boots, puffy jackets, scarves. It's like 50 degrees here max, can't be any lower than that. When they see me in cardigans and light t-shirts they are like, "Where are you from, the North Pole?" Haha. 

-Piere still doesn't have front teeth. Its slightly concerning, but the image of his toothless grin is cute enough to not worry about the incoming teeth, however slow they may be. 

-The English classes that I am teaching in a neighboring town for kids ages 6-11 are going really well. We've been having a lot of fun and my students are great. 

-I've been spoiled with some great packages this month! One from Rachel and two from Bridget, it's been great. My host fam is loving the pictures and I am so grateful for the new stuff. New clothes from both of them! And socks! I am so lucky. Thanks you two :) 

-The Peru 15 group finished their service this month and headed back to the States or various other places for travel, work, and new adventures. I was sad to see them go, but because of everything they've done in their time here, I am proud to know them and am happy for them to get back to the States after their 2 years here. 

That's about all I've got for you for July. Like I said, most of the notable events from the month have been well documented here already. Hope you are all enjoying the lovely summer months in the States. Miss you! 

Thanks Rachel for the package!!! 

Can't wait to find a use for that Hello Kitty duct tape ;) 

Jungle Vacation!

July 28th marks Fiesta's Patrias for Peru. Think 4th of July on the 28th of July. Similar holidays. What that means for me is that everyone is goes on vacation and schools are closed for the 2 weeks following this special day. It also means that Peace Corps gives us free vacation days. Soooo, I took a little trippy trip :) 

I know that it might not seem like I need a vacation, because I live in a super fun place and I do awesome things quite often. Buuuut, I haven't taken a vacation in awhile and this country has so much to offer that I need to discover as much of it as I can while I can. I've also been pretty busy in the past few months and was ready for a couple lazy days in a fun new place. What other option did I have than to go to the jungle? None :) 

I chose Tarapoto, a small-ish town in the department of San Martín. Accessible by bus. Decent size. Affordable. Not entirely too touristy. 

With an 18 hour bus trip from Trujillo to our jungly destination, our time spent there was pretty much just a long weekend. But 3 days turns out to be the perfect amount for a nice little stay in Tarapoto. 

As with most vacations, I didn't realize how much I needed a vacation until I had one. It was so nice to chill in a hammock (ice cream drummy in one hand, cervesa in another) and not worry about anything. 

While we were there, I got to feed a spectacled bear (see previous post), frolic in the pool of a really sweet waterfall, raft down a river (which I don't have pictures of... sorry), drink coconut juice fresh outta the coconut, hold the log of a pretty parrot (who pecked my hand while holding said log... dirty bird), take a lil boat ride across a jungly lake, try some mysterious yet delicious jungle juices & other treats, plus some more fun jungly adventure times that I cannot format into a snappy little fragment. Ooh, and I got stung a few times by some weird jungle bug. Exotic! That's what I get for wearing the new jungle dress on a boat ride. Worth it though, that dress was a good find. 

It wouldn't be Peru, though, if all of the vacation happiness didn't come crumbling down the second our trip began to come to a close. There is something magical about a vacation. Time matters less, the sky looks bluer, crappy beer is suddenly delicious. Vacations are an untouchable time where life is better. But, as Peru reminded me so abruptly, and in true Peace Corps fashion, vacation magic expires. 

We had just arrived at the bus station when the torrential downpour started. And we weren't even out of the jungle yet when our bus broke down. Our 18 hour trip home turned into a delightful 26 hour venture. Upon our arrival in Trujillo, we found ourselves in a shitty cab that stopped running every time we hit a traffic light. As soon as that was over, I ran to Serpost (post office) to check for the coffee Bridget sent me. The postal workers are on strike. AGAIN.

...aaaand life is back to normal. But the vacation was wonderful while it lasted. 

Aves de Paraiso

He reminds me of the guys in "The Jungle Book."

Preeetty.

Herroh. 

View from my hammock in the hostel. 

Reque the spectacled bear! 

Waterfall with a name so long I don't remember it. 

Flutterby. 

Friends! 

Stuffed fried bananas. 

The cheese/ peanut one was fantastic. 

I found a tigrillo!

Lunch. 

This bird was not a friend. 

This photo was taken a second or two after he pecked my fingers. Jerk. 

Notice his trainer intervening... and me trying not to drop his log.

All he has to do is sit on a log for 10 minutes and look pretty. Jerk. 

Laguna Azul. 

Not a bad place to spend a lazy Sunday. 

EPIC.

One of my goals while in Peru was to see a Spectacled Bear. Not only did I find one, but I got to feed him an apple. His name is Reque. We are friends. And here is proof. 

Reque is a 12 year old "rescued" circus bear from Northern Peru. He uses his glasses to read the newspaper and he loves fruit. We bonded last weekend when I went to visit him in Tarapoto, a lovely little jungle town in the department of San Martin, Peru. 

I'll be posting about my jungly adventures soon enough, but I had to tell you about the bear right away. 

So proud. 

Skepticism. 

Curiosity. 

Acceptance. 

Return to Yanacoto

So, you remember that crazy little town I lived in outside of Lima last year during training? I returned. Last month I joined the new volunteers of Peru 19 for a week of their training in Lima before bringing them up to La Libertad. While there, I stayed in Yanacoto with my host family from training. The week flew by pretty quickly, but was a lot of fun. It was strange in ways I cannot explain. Just weird to see our old host families now belonging to other people. Amanda's dog is now someone else's. Richard's host-nephew twins are almost two and they are saying the new trainee's name. Weird... in a good way of course, but weird all the same. 

It was really nice to get to know the new volunteers there and spend some time with them. I love how the Yanacoto trainees all value their time there and seem to really appreciate their training living assignment luck. Strange place, but special in a way that you only really understand if you've lived there. 

Not a lot has changed around those parts. Same cool people, same scary dogs. My host brothers and sister keep getting more awesome. They have a great trainee with them this time around who was excellent company during my Lima week and also during our FBT trip up North. She's going to make an awesome volunteer. 

It was very sweet to see who remembered my name and who took time to catch up with me. It surprised me. I never really thought they liked me that much. So to come back a year later and feel the warmth and hospitality that I did was touching. Peruvian people are so kind in so many ways. 

What was funny for me was the fact that I visited a few host families apart from my own and all of the moms I talked to commented, within the first 2 minutes of talking to me, on how I had gotten fat. Haha. Good to see you guys too ;) With my host mom, her immediate follow-up to, "You've gotten fat!" was "Someone's finally eating animals!!!" Hahaha. That was just too good to be offended by. 

I didn't take any pictures this time around. Bummer for you guys, those little host brothers are still adorable. This will be a photo-less post. Need those every now and again. Don't be too sad though, I'll be returning to Yanacoto later in the month when Lima calls us all down for annual med-checks. This time I'll be with my Yanacoto gang from Peru 17. It was so strange being there without them. Funny to think about where we all were a year ago and where we are now. Can't believe it's been almost a year since we left Yanacoto and went our separate ways throughout the country. Will be interesting to see the rest of Peru 17 soon for med-checks. Stay tuned for a recap on that one next month...