For the first time since coming to Peru I spent a day and a night completely alone. It was WONDERFUL!!! I can’t express how much I need some time completely devoid of other people. Yes some might say that I’m alone all the time: I have my own room and spend most of my time there BUT I’m not truly alone because I can hear my host family through the walls and floors. If they turn on music the turn it up so loud that I feel like I’m sitting right next to the radio. They yell and talk in such loud voices I can usually follow the conversation. They tell me when and to come to dinner or any meals. At mealtime we chat and chat and when I’m done eating and ready to leave the ALWAYS say No stay a bit longer and chat some more. So for that time my time is not my own. When we volunteers travel or “take our breaks from PCV life” we are always together and it is much cheaper to stay in one or two rooms in comparison to five individual rooms. Usually I love that we do this. It helps us bond and allows for venting frustrations BUT you try to be conscious of how much hot water you use, conversations are going on and rude/unsociable not to join in (and most of the time you want to anyways), time is still not your own because is very body ready to go eat etc. None of the fore mentioned things are bad. Yet still a person or at the very least I need alone time were I don’t have to consider anyone but myself.
Selfish…Yes but to some extent aren’t we all. I mean I bet even Mother Teresa needed some alone time or took a selfish minute or two in her lifetime. Anyways back to my point: I feel so refreshed now. For instance today alone finished writing the Healthy School Project, scheduled the next two days of sessions with the school, finished the session information, helped my host mom with drying the corn, hand washed clothes in the river, and still have hours left to go in the day. For sure I’m going to have to take more personal/ alone mental health days. Also, it was really great to talk with my family and One Miss Emily Hays. The PCV life can sure put a cramp in communication, meaning it had been over a month since I talked with that girl…in just one month a lot can happen and a lot is forgotten, so that when we do get to talk we forget all the things we would usually share. Haha.
Now on a side note: Argh!!! Stupid strikes are messing up my plans. I had to reschedule my educational sessions because this Thursday starts another strike (which is why I was supposed to do my session) and when there is a strike almost no matter what it is about the schools close! Yes this time around the strike itself is BIG BIG here in Cajamarca but literally the schools close all the time and it makes it really hard to create and keep scheduled activities. Now for why there is a strike: We here in Cajamarca have actually already had strikes about this in previous months but this is a BIG BIG one because once again they are going to block the roads. So no one in or out unless it is an emergency. They are striking against the mines, specifically one called CONGA. Even though I live here I still don’t know all the details but what I do know is that the issue lies in water. You my friends will have to conduct your own research to know more…
So I wrote this first part two weeks ago then I got suck in my site without travel options until today. Yet another educational session is going to be messed with this week because of the strikes. It is so annoying! haha. But at least got a chance to come into town get some English speaking time to rejuvenate me for this next go around of striking....hope it doesn't last that much longer!!!!
PS More pics to come!
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