This past Sunday I arrived back in Lima after spending three days in my new site and I truly believe that I got the best placement I could have asked for. The little town that I will be living in is the district capitol and has about 3,000 inhabitants. Since I will be replacing two volunteers who lived in the caserrillos (small surrounding villages) of this town, there are already some projects in place that I will get to work on. My community counterparts are the president of the solid waste committee that the previous volunteers established and a teacher from one of the primary schools. I have not yet met the teacher but the president of the trash committee along with all the other members are enthusiastic and motivated so I have a head start on any project that I want to work on.
The house that I will be living in is a typical two story Peruvian home with an open floor plan and mostly cement floors (although we have tile in the living room which is considered luxurious). My room looks over a beautiful flower garden with cherry and plum trees in full bloom. My new host mother is an older woman named Ludivina who works at the municipality. She is at least a foot shorter than I am but has an enormous presence within the community. So far it seems to me that she is related to everyone in Pacora and surrounding areas either by blood or marriage. She is incredibly hospitable and already refers to me as hija (daughter). Her husband works in the neighboring department so he is only around every 15 days but the house is rarely empty because my host sister and her two teenage sons live upstairs. It is an excellent situation because I will be living with a loving family who is also very sensitive to my need for some space and independence.
On my first day in town, I went to the schools where I presented myself to each classroom. There are two primary schools and one high school so I ended up giving my little speech around 25 times. Each time I introduced myself and stated my intention to collaborate with the schools, the woman who was taking me around would add that I am willing to teach English and then would tell the students where I am living. Needless to say that by 3 o'clock that afternoon, kids had started showing up at my door, sometimes to ask for English lessons but more often to stare at me. By the end of the weekend I had taught about four impromptu English lessons but each time I ended with a quick environmental theme or activity. I am planning on teaching English to get my foot in the door with the kids and then I will transition to more environmental classes. I am even thinking that they can "pay" for their English lessons by planting a tree with me.
On Saturday night we traveled to Pimentel, a beach town about an hour away, for my first Peruvian wedding. Since I hadn't brought any nice clothing on my site visit, my host mom tracked down her one niece that happens to be over 4 foot 9 and borrowed a gown for me that miraculously fit. At first I was tired and hungry and a bit uncomfortable in my over the top sequined and beaded quinceñera dress. I was not looking forward to what I was sure to be a long night. Around about 9 pm the food started coming and then around 10 people started dancing. It turned out that everyone wanted to teach me to dance so I ended up on the dance floor most of the night taking breaks to snack on appetizers until dinner finally came at 1 am. We ended up staying at the party until 5 am until my 65 year-old host father was literally asleep in his chair! At this point there were no cars back to Pacora so we went to the after party at the bride's house where there was eating and drinking and dancing. I tried to rally but I ended up falling asleep in a chair. When I woke up it was light out and I was incredibly disoriented so I pretty much demanded that we jump in a car and head home. We got back to Pacora around 8:30 am and went to bed…finally!! Although I had a great time and met a ton of people, I really hope that these events are few and far between because I don't think I can keep up with my host mother!
After a long weekend, I was not ready to head home. I already feel like there will be so much that I can do in my new community. Between working with the solid waste committee, teaching English, and helping the teachers incorporate environmental topics into their curriculum, I will be busy and productive. I already helped my host mom start a compost so that she will have rich soil when she plants her vegetable garden in January. This weekend gave me tons of ideas and motivation for getting my service going. I am looking forward to heading back to Pacora for good this weekend. It is an adorable town and anyone who has the chance should definitely come visit me!
Also, thanks to everyone who has sent me mail! I have a new address now:
Dani Rueter
Cuerpo de Paz
Casilla Postal 208
Oficina Serpost, S.A.
Chiclayo, Peru
Hope to hear from you soon!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
A little dose of the real world...campo style
This past week we left Lima for our official field based training and site visits. For the first three days we traveled around the departments where we will be living with all of the other volunteers going to that area. We were chaperoned by current volunteers who showed us their sites and coordinated activities to introduce us to life as a Peace Corps volunteer. On Saturday I boarded a bus with four other volunteers and on Sunday morning I woke up in the city of Chiclayo, Lambayeque, our regional capitol.
Our first day of field based training started off with a trip to Starbucks, the hang out for PCVs in Lambayeque. After spending an entire day's allowance on a coffee, we headed to the town of Olmos, about 3 hours by combi (a public, very crowded van). Two of the volunteers I was with will be living in small villages in this district. During our stay in Olmos, we ate amazing street food, planted trees, and stayed with local host families. There was no electricity in the village we stayed in which turned out to be relaxing and refreshing. As it turned out, the volunteer who coordinated this part of the training had gotten the entire village excited about a United States V. Peru volleyball game. Upon our arrival, the Peruvians all got really worried because, compared to them, we are all enormous. In the end they had no reason to be nervous since not one of us plays volleyball. We ended up losing all three games but the scores were at least close. I hope that when I move to my site I will be able to start a pickup volleyball game so that I can learn to play.
After two nights in Olmos, we headed back down to a village outside of the town where I will be living to stay at another volunteer's site. This village is located right on the national historical sanctuary so many of the people who live there work as volunteer park guards in exchange for rice and other foods. While the men do rounds patrolling the forest, women volunteer park guards generally sweep the forest floor but, in this village, the volunteer that lives there has gotten them composting and building a tree nursery to help with reforestation of the park. Since I will be living so close I will be helping maintain the tree nursery project for the volunteer who is leaving. I am very lucky to have this project already in place so that I don't have to start from scratch.
After working at the nursery we went for a hike into the national historical sanctuary to see some of the ruins from the Sican Culture. The adobe pyramids dating back to pre Incan times have now eroded substantially but it is obvious that they were massive and of incredible cultural importance. One of the pyramids is called the Pyramid of Kneeling Women because it was found filled with women who had been sacrificed in the kneeling position. This national historical sanctuary will provide excellent opportunities for me to work in reforestation as well as environmental and cultural awareness.
During my three days of field based training I had a few moments where it hit me that I am living in a different world now. The first of these happened when I was riding between one of the small rural villages and the district capitol in a mototaxi (a motorcycle converted into a carriage style tricycle). As we were bouncing along the dusty road, I all of a sudden felt a scurrying over my feet and around my ankles. I shrieked and looked down to see a burlap sack moving around at my feet. As it turns out, this mototaxi was also serving to transport guinea pigs. The next day during breakfast I had a similar moment of realization when, during breakfast, a neighbor boy ran into the dining room with a screaming goat dangling from his arms yelling "it's dying!" The woman who I was staying with calmly stated that it had been that way since yesterday and there was nothing that could be done. Perhaps the funniest of these encounters occurred when, over lunch with all of the Peace Corps volunteers at the house of one of the volunteer park guards, we realized that what we had though was pepper in our rice were actually tons of dead ants. We all got a little extra protein that day along with our dose of reality. The field based training left me with a little better idea of what life in rural Peru is like but, more than anything, the people were so welcoming and gracious that I got more excited than ever to move into my community.
Our first day of field based training started off with a trip to Starbucks, the hang out for PCVs in Lambayeque. After spending an entire day's allowance on a coffee, we headed to the town of Olmos, about 3 hours by combi (a public, very crowded van). Two of the volunteers I was with will be living in small villages in this district. During our stay in Olmos, we ate amazing street food, planted trees, and stayed with local host families. There was no electricity in the village we stayed in which turned out to be relaxing and refreshing. As it turned out, the volunteer who coordinated this part of the training had gotten the entire village excited about a United States V. Peru volleyball game. Upon our arrival, the Peruvians all got really worried because, compared to them, we are all enormous. In the end they had no reason to be nervous since not one of us plays volleyball. We ended up losing all three games but the scores were at least close. I hope that when I move to my site I will be able to start a pickup volleyball game so that I can learn to play.
After two nights in Olmos, we headed back down to a village outside of the town where I will be living to stay at another volunteer's site. This village is located right on the national historical sanctuary so many of the people who live there work as volunteer park guards in exchange for rice and other foods. While the men do rounds patrolling the forest, women volunteer park guards generally sweep the forest floor but, in this village, the volunteer that lives there has gotten them composting and building a tree nursery to help with reforestation of the park. Since I will be living so close I will be helping maintain the tree nursery project for the volunteer who is leaving. I am very lucky to have this project already in place so that I don't have to start from scratch.
After working at the nursery we went for a hike into the national historical sanctuary to see some of the ruins from the Sican Culture. The adobe pyramids dating back to pre Incan times have now eroded substantially but it is obvious that they were massive and of incredible cultural importance. One of the pyramids is called the Pyramid of Kneeling Women because it was found filled with women who had been sacrificed in the kneeling position. This national historical sanctuary will provide excellent opportunities for me to work in reforestation as well as environmental and cultural awareness.
During my three days of field based training I had a few moments where it hit me that I am living in a different world now. The first of these happened when I was riding between one of the small rural villages and the district capitol in a mototaxi (a motorcycle converted into a carriage style tricycle). As we were bouncing along the dusty road, I all of a sudden felt a scurrying over my feet and around my ankles. I shrieked and looked down to see a burlap sack moving around at my feet. As it turns out, this mototaxi was also serving to transport guinea pigs. The next day during breakfast I had a similar moment of realization when, during breakfast, a neighbor boy ran into the dining room with a screaming goat dangling from his arms yelling "it's dying!" The woman who I was staying with calmly stated that it had been that way since yesterday and there was nothing that could be done. Perhaps the funniest of these encounters occurred when, over lunch with all of the Peace Corps volunteers at the house of one of the volunteer park guards, we realized that what we had though was pepper in our rice were actually tons of dead ants. We all got a little extra protein that day along with our dose of reality. The field based training left me with a little better idea of what life in rural Peru is like but, more than anything, the people were so welcoming and gracious that I got more excited than ever to move into my community.
Site Assignments...Finally!
Hola todos! This week started out a little heavier than usual after spending a long weekend traveling around the Andes and then sleeping on a bus. It was obvious that everyone was still in a daze Monday morning. After a day of nearly falling asleep in class, I headed to the local library to volunteer. This week we asked the kids to draw their ideal living situation, a concept which took them a while to grasp. Initially, the kids didn't know what to draw because they most likely have not been asked to think of a future with unlimited possibilities but, after seeing the ridiculous drawings that myself and other volunteers came up with, their imaginations began to shine through. This activity was incredibly satisfying because the boost in self esteem that the students experienced was obvious immediately. By the end of the lesson we had oceans with mermaids and houses on lakes in the mountains. Everyone seemed to get a lot out of the activity so I will definitely be using it once I get to site.
On Tuesday, we got to teach English in a school which is an activity that I intend to use to get my foot in the door with students and parents once I get to site. Many of the volunteers that have spoken to us recommend teaching English to build trust (confianza) with kids and their parents. The students that we practiced on were incredibly welcoming and curious. When we walked in the room they were all standing and waving American flags that they had made in class. I can only hope that some of my efforts in site will be this well received.
On Friday we traveled to the Peace Corps headquarters in Lima where we officially found out where everyone will be for the next two years! To make these announcements, they attached 56 balloons to the wall each with a name and a site placement on it. Each volunteer through a spear at the balloons and read the name and placement from the balloon that they popped. After some screaming, tears of joy, and one close call with the spear, everyone in Peru 14 was officially given a place to live for the next two years. I am looking forward to visiting my new friends all over the country.
After site assignments were handed out, we had the afternoon free so I headed for a little slice of the USA at the mall across the street. I ate Dunkin Doughnuts and spent a good amount of time at the Apple Store checking email before heading back to the center for dance classes. If we hadn't just been given our fate for the next two years, dance class would have easily been the best part of my day. We essentially followed a Peruvian Richard Simmons through a medley of all of the popular dances in Peru mixed in with some of his own moves. I don't know if it was his short shorts, super enthusiasm, or tank top but it was impossible not to follow the instructor's lead and attempt every dance from raggaeton to huaynos (traditional music and dance from the mountains). The dancing that ensued was probably the best workout that I have gotten since I have been here.
When our own "Ricardo Simmons" finally stopped, we had one of our Peruvian Spanish instructors teach us the thriller dance. I intend to find this dance on DVD, learn the choreography, and teach a group of children in my community all the moves. I believe all of this falls under the cultural exchange goal of the Peace Corps.
On Tuesday, we got to teach English in a school which is an activity that I intend to use to get my foot in the door with students and parents once I get to site. Many of the volunteers that have spoken to us recommend teaching English to build trust (confianza) with kids and their parents. The students that we practiced on were incredibly welcoming and curious. When we walked in the room they were all standing and waving American flags that they had made in class. I can only hope that some of my efforts in site will be this well received.
On Friday we traveled to the Peace Corps headquarters in Lima where we officially found out where everyone will be for the next two years! To make these announcements, they attached 56 balloons to the wall each with a name and a site placement on it. Each volunteer through a spear at the balloons and read the name and placement from the balloon that they popped. After some screaming, tears of joy, and one close call with the spear, everyone in Peru 14 was officially given a place to live for the next two years. I am looking forward to visiting my new friends all over the country.
After site assignments were handed out, we had the afternoon free so I headed for a little slice of the USA at the mall across the street. I ate Dunkin Doughnuts and spent a good amount of time at the Apple Store checking email before heading back to the center for dance classes. If we hadn't just been given our fate for the next two years, dance class would have easily been the best part of my day. We essentially followed a Peruvian Richard Simmons through a medley of all of the popular dances in Peru mixed in with some of his own moves. I don't know if it was his short shorts, super enthusiasm, or tank top but it was impossible not to follow the instructor's lead and attempt every dance from raggaeton to huaynos (traditional music and dance from the mountains). The dancing that ensued was probably the best workout that I have gotten since I have been here.
When our own "Ricardo Simmons" finally stopped, we had one of our Peruvian Spanish instructors teach us the thriller dance. I intend to find this dance on DVD, learn the choreography, and teach a group of children in my community all the moves. I believe all of this falls under the cultural exchange goal of the Peace Corps.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Life at 10,000 Feet Above Sea Level
Hello from Peru! Last Sunday I started my week off by going to a bullfight. I was hesitant at first because I wasn't looking forward to watching a bull get killed but once I got there I was able to appreciate the culture behind it. The event started out with a marching band followed by a performance by Peruvian Paso horses. The main event got started with some politically incorrect rodeo clowns chasing being chased around by the younger bulls. This was entertaining despite the fact that I was somewhat offended by the man in black face with balloons to give him a voluptuous butt and chest. I still haven't gotten used to the open commentary on race and physical appearance. The idea of political correctness does not exist in the same way it does in the United States
On Wednesday night we left for our first field based training, which means we got to visit the sites where volunteers are currently living. The environment volunteers went to the department of Ancash, home of the most famous Andean glaciers. The most famous climbs and treks in Peru leave from the capitol of Ancash, Huaraz. In order to get there, we took a night bus, which was the most comfortable form of transportation that I have ever used. The seats are much larger than first class airplane seats and recline to almost flat (although you can pay slightly more to have seats that become full beds). I was able to sleep the entire night and wake up to vistas of the Cordillera Blanca, the most famous section of the Peruvian Andes.
We arrived in Huaraz at 6:30 in the morning and went directly to our first site visit. I could feel myself breathing panting as my body tried to acclimate to the lack of oxygen at 10,000 feet. The first site we visited was at the base of the highest tropical glacier in the world, Huascaran. All of the community members that I met throughout field-based training only spoke Quechua amongst each other and would switch to Castellano only when talking to us. This makes the sites in the Andes difficult because the volunteers only speak the second language of the community members. The towns around this area live off of the trekking industry by renting out rooms in their houses and hauling hiker's gear on their donkeys. We went up to a glacial lake to talk to the park guards about park management and look at the tree nursery that is a part of the reforestation project currently underway in Huascaran National Park. We also got a chance to talk to the members of the various tourist service organizations including artisans, boat drivers, and people who sell amazing food. That night, I stayed in a modernized version of a traditional farmer's hut that one of the community members had built to rent out to tourists. When I complimented the building, the owner offered to build me one, which I had to politely decline, a skill that I have acquired since moving to Peru.
The second morning, we woke up for a community trash clean up at 6 am. Every community that I have encountered so far has events called faenas, which are mandatory community maintenance and service days. It was an honor to be able to participate even though I had to get up at dawn. After the clean up, we headed to our next site which was incredible different from the first in that it lacked discipline and organization. We looked at the tree nursery and planted a few native tree species where we could find space amongst the thousands of Eucalyptus trees that have been introduced because of their quick growth and long, straight trunks. One of our challenges as PCVs is to convince people that it is worthwhile to grow trees other than Eucalyptus, a species that dramatically degrades soil quality because of its high levels of nutrient and water uptake.
That evening, we helped the current volunteers to prepare their Halloween costumes for the next night. While I curled ribbons to look like feathers for a parrot costume, my friend Olivia and our technical trainer Lane worked very hard to braid and sew beads into the volunteers beard for a Johnny Depp inspired pirate costume. That night after a meal of guinea pig and about 7 potatoes, I had the pleasure of using a squat latrine for the first time in my life.
On the final day of field-based training, I headed to another small community where I made a presentation on building a micro relleno (a simple landfill) and composting. The talk went very well and the community members even participated in the activity that I had planned at the end. For lunch, I was again served guinea pig (or cuy to Peruvians), but this time I was served the head, which I traded with the language instructor who was accompanying our group because, according to him, it is the best part of the cuy. Personally, I couldn't bring myself to gnaw what little meat there was off of the skull of the cuy. Instead, I got to gnaw a very small amount of meat off the hind leg of the guinea pig (which looks pretty much like a rat when stripped of its fur).
After lunch on Saturday, we headed into Huaraz to hang out until our bus left at 11 pm. From the main square of Huaraz, I was able to see more than 5 snow covered peaks, which made it the most majestic plaza that I have ever seen. During our time in Huaraz I went to the artisan market where bought a necklace of seeds called Huayruros which are said to bring luck and protection. Around dinnertime, Halloween really started picking up and I was caught off guard by the children trick or treating in the streets. We were constantly being asked for candy while we ate at a sidewalk café. When we would tell the kids that we didn't have any, some got pretty insistent and we even got a few death stares from the mothers. I was surprised by how common it was in Huaraz to participate in this American tradition.
Today, I got home at 7 am and am currently resting up for another big week of training. While I write, I am watching the episode of South Park where guinea pigs aided by Donald Rumsfeld aim to take over the world. It is a very appropriate thing to be watching given the amount of guinea pig I have consumed in the last three days. This has been a crazy week and there will be much more to come as I enter the final stretch of training. I am looking forward to getting to site and getting my two years underway. I also received tons of mail last week, which was awesome! Thank you to all who sent it. I can't send much because it is incredibly expensive and I am living on an allowance of about $2 a day but I will try and respond by email ASAP! I hope life is good back in the USA! Keep me posted everyone!
On Wednesday night we left for our first field based training, which means we got to visit the sites where volunteers are currently living. The environment volunteers went to the department of Ancash, home of the most famous Andean glaciers. The most famous climbs and treks in Peru leave from the capitol of Ancash, Huaraz. In order to get there, we took a night bus, which was the most comfortable form of transportation that I have ever used. The seats are much larger than first class airplane seats and recline to almost flat (although you can pay slightly more to have seats that become full beds). I was able to sleep the entire night and wake up to vistas of the Cordillera Blanca, the most famous section of the Peruvian Andes.
We arrived in Huaraz at 6:30 in the morning and went directly to our first site visit. I could feel myself breathing panting as my body tried to acclimate to the lack of oxygen at 10,000 feet. The first site we visited was at the base of the highest tropical glacier in the world, Huascaran. All of the community members that I met throughout field-based training only spoke Quechua amongst each other and would switch to Castellano only when talking to us. This makes the sites in the Andes difficult because the volunteers only speak the second language of the community members. The towns around this area live off of the trekking industry by renting out rooms in their houses and hauling hiker's gear on their donkeys. We went up to a glacial lake to talk to the park guards about park management and look at the tree nursery that is a part of the reforestation project currently underway in Huascaran National Park. We also got a chance to talk to the members of the various tourist service organizations including artisans, boat drivers, and people who sell amazing food. That night, I stayed in a modernized version of a traditional farmer's hut that one of the community members had built to rent out to tourists. When I complimented the building, the owner offered to build me one, which I had to politely decline, a skill that I have acquired since moving to Peru.
The second morning, we woke up for a community trash clean up at 6 am. Every community that I have encountered so far has events called faenas, which are mandatory community maintenance and service days. It was an honor to be able to participate even though I had to get up at dawn. After the clean up, we headed to our next site which was incredible different from the first in that it lacked discipline and organization. We looked at the tree nursery and planted a few native tree species where we could find space amongst the thousands of Eucalyptus trees that have been introduced because of their quick growth and long, straight trunks. One of our challenges as PCVs is to convince people that it is worthwhile to grow trees other than Eucalyptus, a species that dramatically degrades soil quality because of its high levels of nutrient and water uptake.
That evening, we helped the current volunteers to prepare their Halloween costumes for the next night. While I curled ribbons to look like feathers for a parrot costume, my friend Olivia and our technical trainer Lane worked very hard to braid and sew beads into the volunteers beard for a Johnny Depp inspired pirate costume. That night after a meal of guinea pig and about 7 potatoes, I had the pleasure of using a squat latrine for the first time in my life.
On the final day of field-based training, I headed to another small community where I made a presentation on building a micro relleno (a simple landfill) and composting. The talk went very well and the community members even participated in the activity that I had planned at the end. For lunch, I was again served guinea pig (or cuy to Peruvians), but this time I was served the head, which I traded with the language instructor who was accompanying our group because, according to him, it is the best part of the cuy. Personally, I couldn't bring myself to gnaw what little meat there was off of the skull of the cuy. Instead, I got to gnaw a very small amount of meat off the hind leg of the guinea pig (which looks pretty much like a rat when stripped of its fur).
After lunch on Saturday, we headed into Huaraz to hang out until our bus left at 11 pm. From the main square of Huaraz, I was able to see more than 5 snow covered peaks, which made it the most majestic plaza that I have ever seen. During our time in Huaraz I went to the artisan market where bought a necklace of seeds called Huayruros which are said to bring luck and protection. Around dinnertime, Halloween really started picking up and I was caught off guard by the children trick or treating in the streets. We were constantly being asked for candy while we ate at a sidewalk café. When we would tell the kids that we didn't have any, some got pretty insistent and we even got a few death stares from the mothers. I was surprised by how common it was in Huaraz to participate in this American tradition.
Today, I got home at 7 am and am currently resting up for another big week of training. While I write, I am watching the episode of South Park where guinea pigs aided by Donald Rumsfeld aim to take over the world. It is a very appropriate thing to be watching given the amount of guinea pig I have consumed in the last three days. This has been a crazy week and there will be much more to come as I enter the final stretch of training. I am looking forward to getting to site and getting my two years underway. I also received tons of mail last week, which was awesome! Thank you to all who sent it. I can't send much because it is incredibly expensive and I am living on an allowance of about $2 a day but I will try and respond by email ASAP! I hope life is good back in the USA! Keep me posted everyone!
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