A Peruvian/ American Birthday

 Photos from the big day and the day before!

First and foremost the month of June is a busy birthday month even here in Peru. My host brother, Yoni on the 5th, host mom and another volunteer, Hayden, the 12th me the 14th, another volunteer Kate the 16th, host brother Mayo (Alex) on the 24th, Emily on the 28th.....and if I missed someone sorry I'm at birthday overload! haha.
Anyways here in the Campo of Peru there isn't much of a celebration to birthdays. If they remember there is the Feliz Cumple, pasalo bien, and the frying of a cuy or another animal if you are lucky. But this is about the extent. My host mom forgot that it was her birthday until I reminded her. So we are joking about it and how the kids are going to find my a sapo (frog) to give me as a present the night before. They actually go to the river for a bit to look haha. I thought that would be about it for the passing of another year of life.

OH HOW I WAS WRONG!!!
At 3AM noises start from upstairs. I mean it sounds like the family has decided to redecorate in the middle of the night by dragging the furniture around and around. The noise goes on and on and on for about 30 min. Finally I think. Wrong at 4:30AM it starts again. Later I found out that my host mom, Martha successfully killed two rats that morning. haha. At about 7 or 7:30 Mayo starts yelling through the window Yenni are you awake? Yes! (Although don't want to be yet) Okay well then open your door.
Now this is odd because usually we open the window to chit chat. So we play around for a bit with me opening the other door, he runs around, I open the front door, and so on. Finally we are at the same door and I'm still half asleep. He rushes in to give me my 23 birthday spankings. haha. Now Mayo is 11 and quite small but that little kid is strong! After it was completely adorable though he gave me not 1 but 2 hugs and told me Happy Birthday. (Side note: the reason he decided I needed birthday spankings---for Yoni's 14th Birthday I explained that we have this custom in the States and they just thought that was a whoot!) Now people here in the Campo are not the touchy type so getting/giving hugs is kinda a big deal. When I went for breakfast my sister, Zaida and my host mom both gave me hugs and told me how happy they are that I'm here.  A little later Yoni told me to prepare myself because he is not only giving me my 23 spankings but 14 extra...haha (although he didn't follow through).

So I spent the day watching movies, hanging out with the host fam, went on a long run and to end the day Zaida took me on a hike. I've been asking her to take me to the top of this hill for about a month. It was beautiful from the top and fun spending time with her. To top things off, for dinner we had lentils because my host mom knows they are my favorite! Now doesn't that sounds like a good day!

Selfish Moments

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!

So it is official I have achieved something in the Peace Corps! haha it only took 6 months in site but at least it happened. I started my healthy schools project last week. I gave an hour long chat/ session/ charla (whatever you want to call it) twice over how to create a healthy classroom. It might not seem like a lot but talking in front of secondary school age kids for an hour is SOOOOO HARD! Especially when it is in another language. Praise God that my Spanish is finally up to snuff! My health post only had to clarify once or twice for the kids. Some photos from the day

Obviously ME!! teaching. I know hard to believe but it actually was a lot of fun. In large part think that is because I only will do it about every two weeks.







They had to draw a healthy classroom or school. The winner got some candy...the things necessary to motivate haha.

So this kid on my right is one of my favs!!! 

 My health post worker 

 Dona Mari

Now that I have accomplished something concrete I'm hoping my service will pick up and not only be more exciting but more filling. Never ever did I want to discover that sitting around is really hard and boring! haha.
This week we also did a group visit to Kate's site. Her mom is here from the states so we had a good excuse and the fact that we had a camp, VALOR, this weekend and Kate's site is kinda on the way. Anyways it was really fun. Her primary school put on a celebration! It was so cute they danced and sang and read poems. Then we had a Peru vs USA volleyball game which was a blast.

 I was asked for more photos....part of why this one is so full. This is a view from the road in-between my site and the capital city. 

 So where we live in the mountains everybody is pretty poor. Yet there is money in the government. When they don't spend their budget they loss it, so this town has this really nice soccer stadium and is currently building a bull stadium....you can't see it in the photo but there is so much trash and incomplete buildings etc. I guess soccer ranks a bit higher than those things.

 and now LOOK I am actually growing something. I'm very proud of my little green sprouts. I grew them from lentils and I can't wait to eat them!!







As most of you can probably tell by this blog my life is super duper exciting, haha. Hoping that in the months to come I'll get some really great stories to tell. LOVE.

Oh how the Peace Corps can bring a person down

Today was suppose to be a BIG day. What led to disaster? Well let me start from the beginning...(some fun pics of my animals).

 My pigs!!!

The baby puppies!!
I have been in site for almost 5 months. I spent the first 3 months working on my Community Diagnostic, gathering data etc.Then months 4-5 were filled with training/ writing diagnostic/ first vacation. AKA jammed pack. So we were asked to turn in a rough draft of our Diagnostic. So all us Caja girls did.


When we got them back...the nicest way to put it is just go jump off a bridge with your report because that is about how good it is. Think back to when you were in junior high and you get a paper back and it is all in red. Oh and that the graphs you made are not the right type. Why aren't you a mind reader? Didn't you know we wanted it this way! I mean sorry we didn't give you a format to follow or actually we did and you followed it....but never mind we changed our mind on which one we wanted.
So that put me in a stellar mood to begin with! Then in my community I started inviting people to come to my presentation of that very Diagnostic. While asking people, almost half of them say...No sorry have something else to do. Others say sure. And the third set of people why are you asking me so far in advance! I won't remember, ask me a couple of days before. I went back to those people and guess what...oh I have something that day. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Sometimes I really don't like Peru! But oh well some said they would come including my "volunteer boss, Barbara". So I make all the posters as best I can because have no artistic talent, buy snacks....

The presentation is set for 8am this morning. Well my cousin, Deisy, from the Early Stimulation Center shows up at 8:05am. We are sitting out front of my health post because they still aren't there yet. Around 8:30am 2 of my health post workers show up, among them the Jefe (boss) of the health post not included and my PCVL, Barbara. Then at about 8:45am the PRONEI lady shows up and that is it!!!!! Not my mayor or anyone else that I asked and said yes. I just spent almost 5 months getting ready to be to this point and no one bothers to show up. I can hear a beer calling my name at 9am in the morning. Also, feel like crazy and then trying to pop off peoples heads!
Anyways so I don't give the presentation and Barbara and I leave. Guess who I see? Low and behold my mayor getting ready to go to Chota. Well thanks for your time and consideration. I mean your show of support really means a lot to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Words cannot express how angry I am right now.
Oh well. soon I will get happy in the same pants I got mad in.........but not yet, haha.

6 MONTHS

I have official been in Peru for 6 months. March 16^th marked the 6 month mark. It is amazing how fast that six months passed. When I look at it like that so much time has passed and that my service will soon be ending. Yet then I look forward and it is still almost a whole 2 years til the end of service it blows my mind. To be exact I now have 21 months left. I’m starting to get very excited and nervous and a jumble of other emotions because we are almost done with the diagnostic phase and will soon be starting actual projects and “work”. I’ve been biting at the bit to start projects since the new year and now….please give me more time to get prepared. Haha. Of course it happens that way you get what you want and then it is no longer what you want. Oh how funny is life.

So we just got back from our Early IST, a training session where we present what we have so far to the other volunteers of my group. The best thing about this meeting was seeing everyone!!!! Can’t believe how close some friends are but still so out of reach. Although looking forward to meeting up in Mancora with them and having one big party for Semana Santa. It will be like Early IST without time commitments. Yeah!!!! Yet the big downer to this plan is the fact we are going to the beach! I really don’t like the beach…especially here in Peru. Even with sunblock I burn, Burn, BURN! At Huanchaco we were outside maybe 2-3 hours and I had SPF 50 and reapplied and was under an umbrella and still got so burnt that my legs days after feel like they are bruised. This alone was bad but we are going to Mancora…the last time I went to Mancora was a week before returning to the States from study abroad and literally had 2^nd degree burns. Still have the pictures to prove it

                                                               

That sunburn hurt forever!!!!!!! Oh well still excited to go. We might even go snorkeling! So grateful for friends to travel with! Yeah yeah.

Anyways back to how Early IST went…I felt good about the work-progress I had made in my community and still do but feel so behind others. I know there is no real comparison available because communities move at a different rate especially when you aren’t a real city but….AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Gotta get a fire lit under my ass. Haha.

So on a completely different note: Something that really bothers me about Peru. The people of my community think it is a high compliment to tell me that I’m looking fatter, which is their equivalent to that I have adapted to the community. They talk about weight like we talk about I don’t know shoe styles that look good or bad on a person, to their face. So in the past few days I’ve been told I’m looking fatter by a couple of different families. They have effectively started me dieting and putting more emphasis in working out. Also, now I’m kinda melancholy because I think I’m looking fat: which no I’m not saying I am but it sure puts one down in the dumps. Yesterday spent almost the whole day in bed feeling sorry for myself. SO NOT GOOD!!! 1^st because having a pity party isn’t going to do anything 2^nd because laying around isn’t going to help me get skinny haha and 3^rd because I didn’t even use that laying around time to do the things I love like watch a movie, or tv or read a book or a million of other things. Ah…..well lets hope I snap to and quickly because there is shit I need to get doing. Bringing me back to Early IST and the list I made of things I should get started on. One huge success done from that list is a health schools project!!!! YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!! So so excited to actually have something to be working in and feel good about my time. So far only doing it with the “high school” but hope to include some of the other schools! Also, with my health post I’m going to start work with the health promoters that they have and hopefully a group of mothers. Yeah for finally having work to do that I feel will actually benefit the community, so far the work I’ve done on the diagnostic has mainly only helped or effected me.

Another fun note: this week we were without water for most of the week and then we lost power. Now I believe I’m not to set in a life of luxury. The water shortage…no problem just didn’t bath all week (I know gross on the hygiene meter) BUT the problem really came with the power outage…why because I couldn’t make coffee or use my computer after the battery died, etc. That was when I thought I might go a little crazy, it gets dark here at 6 ish 6:30 so nothin to do after dark. It was like the ice storm all over again but without as many candles and flashlights/lanterns.  

Early IST

So it is official! Have jumped past the first big mark in my service---Early IST. What that means is we have to stop laying around just working to get to know the community and start focusing in on the ideas that we want and can literally achieve during our service.
To begin we had our training in Huanchaco a beach town near Trujillo. Not being a beach person myself it was beautiful but sand everywhere, sun, and salt water. The sun has an intense hatred of me and my body...SPF 50 and left on my shorts and shirt for quite a while and my legs looked like nicely cooked lobster. Even now my legs are pink/purple and are physically painful to touch. How ridiculous is that!!!! Also, planning on going back to the beach in a month for not 1 day but 3-4....my body is going to DIE!!!!! and then I develop skill cancer yeah for good life decisions.
Anyways one day on the beach and I was done BUT the best part was getting to see my friends from training. To see how other peoples lives are progressing (seeing how much I still need to do-AHHHH!) Can't wait until Semana Santa when we will all be together again but without the training! Now I just gotta work on my beach body. Come on P90X and early morning runs...become a part of daily life. Will work on a detailed accounting of the week..........in a bit haha. Tired and going to bed!

The Fun Things I'm Learning

Today my family discussed my Little sisters ulcer among a few other health concerns. They believe she has an ulcer because she is not eating enough. If you didn’t know an ulcer is caused by not eating when you’re hungry or by not eating enough. When you go to town at lunch you should eat at least once if not twice before coming home. Also, drinking lots of water can help but only if it is hot and 3 times a day. Aka that means don’t drink a whole hell of a lot but more than normal. Gastritis is caused by drinking too much pop. So everyone put down that can of coke or beware that your stomach is about to start going haywire.

Never drink anything cold. Don’t you know that drinking something cold can give you a cold or make you very sick? There is no such thing as allergies to pollen. The weather is making you sick. Also, the sun can give you a headache but to cure it just put some water on your head and you will be fine. Aka the weather can be blamed for almost any sickness that befalls a person.

As a “gringa” the reason I’m weaker physically is that I don’t eat enough. For this we in general are weaker than Peruvians (who are able to carry their children on their backs up and down hills and in the fields). How can a person be strong if they don’t work every day in their charca? So therefore we don’t need to eat a full plate of beans and rice at mealtime. For this I will admit I’m not a physically strong person in upper body strength but can carry cargo and walk just as well as they do, I simply don’t have as much of a reason to carry heavy loads large distances. Argh…haha.

When you have an animal that is sick, the best way to cure it is by putting motor oil all over (especially if it is a skin sickness). Or to bring luck that your animals don’t get sick put garlic around their necks. Here we don’t often eat meat simply because it is expensive or the animal itself serves another purpose but by all means as a treat for the dogs feed them chicken bones and cuy (guinea pig) bones. If a dog suddenly dies the reason is someone poisoned the poor thing!