Catalina, que estas haciendo?! ...Buen pregunta.
Caitlin, what are you doing?! ...Good question.
Well, a lot!
Besides eloquently fumbling about with my Spanish, becoming steadily accustomed with a whole new culture, enjoying the local dance scenes, and thoroughly enjoying Peruvian delicacies such as cow hearts and sheep stomach, I have been going through the Peace Corps Pre-Service Training. These first 10 weeks to prepare us for our near future missions. Every Lunes-Viernes from 8AM-5PM I venture to the Peace Corps Center where we are being intensely trained on a variety of different subjects.
For 2-4 hours a day we have language training where we... learn the language. ;) Los profesores son increible. They are Peruvian, but are very well educated and know English as well. My teacher for the Intermediano Medio group is Karina. She studied to be a lawyer here in Peru then went to the States to work where she soon realized she loved to teach! She somehow found her way back through school to become a teacher and is now doing great. We have a lot of interactive learning with games, exercises, songs, worksheets, acting out, stories... each of which focuses on a certain aspect of vocabulario or grammar what we are learning at the time. I love it. Not only do we learn the basics of how to communicate, but we are also learning job-specific language (i.e. water systems vocabulary), which will come in handy when I'm trying to explain to an entire town of adults how to construct a latrine system..
On top of language learning, we learn a lot of safety and security aspects of being here in Peru. We cover it all- from how to safely take a taxi, venture around town, and determine fraud money to more serious subjects of STI's and instances of assault. They want to prepare us as much as possible for the unknown. We are in a whole new world over here where we are the aliens, and therefore often the targets. The more informed we are on this information, the better prepared we will be.
Another portion of the information that we learn is on the Peruvian culture. They're culture here is very different. The food, how to drink, how to greet each other, how to catch a taxi, how to be friends with people, how to say no, how share everything, what to wear... it's so interesting to learn! There are some things that I like very much and some things that definitely take some getting used to. One thing I really like is the customary greeting. Everyone here hugs (abrazos) and kisses(besos) on the cheek when they greet and when they say goodbye. I must get 100 besos a day... it's awesome! Jajaja. It's such an open and kind way of welcoming someone's presence. I feel it makes people closer just simply by breaking down that initial barrier. Well, we've already hugged and kissed upon meeting the first time... I guess we're friends now! :D Also, another thing I really appreciate/like/enjoy is the sharing of everything. In a previous blog I explained the “Invitame” rule where basically any food that someone has is automatically everyone's tambien. Again, another kind and open gesture.
One of the cultural traditions that I will have a more difficult time with is the separation of genders. What it boils down to basically is that in the Peruvian culture, women and men simply are not friends. They are either dating or do not converse in any way. Gestures even as simple as eating ice cream together or even TALKING between men and women is seen as dating the other person. If they show any interest at all, it is taken as they want something more. It may sound extreme, but I'm not even stretching it. Sometimes in bigger cities women and men can be friends, but elsewhere there is no such thing. I can see this being a challenge for us volunteers in the near future as we are used to having a wide variety of friends of both genders.
In addition to all the culture mind-blowing adventures we are preparing for, we spend a large portion of our time preparing for the work I came here to do: agua y saneamiento (water and sanitation). This is probably my favorite part of the learning. We have learned a variety of different things: all about water pump systems, how to construct various gray water systems, microrellenas (mini landfills), biodigesters, lumbriculturas (I forget the word in english, but essentially breaking down organic matter by using worms to assist in the process), creating successful compost, slow trickle sand filters, SODIS sun decontamination of water, specific chlorination techniques, and all the in's and out's of caca and it's negative effects on humans. We will soon be learning to build latrine systems which I am really excited about. Our grupo (consisting of about 20 young adults ages 22-28, with backgrounds as varying as engineering, sociology, environmeantal management, microbiology, international affairs, and even religion to name a few) has also been traveling to various water systems around this area to get a view about what different systems look like. It's very eye-opening to say the least. Some of these systems you just look at with mouth wide-open in disbelief that it is actually exists and that it's acceptable.
Overall, I have learned more in these last 5 weeks than I have ever learned in that time-span. Probably because this stuff is essential for my survival for the next 2 years. Also, it helps learning in a room with 19 other highly motivated individuals. Finally I'm not the only one asking questions and making the class stay overtime just to understand the subject better. It also makes group projects run a lot smoother and in class competitions a lot more interesting. We have such an amazing group of people. We each have so much to share and it's just such a blast when we are together. Everyone just has a certain life to them that makes every encounter so exciting. I sure am going to miss everyone once we all split off to our sites. After spending at LEAST 8 hours with each other every single day, it's going to be a definite challenge not being able to see anyone very often.
Needless to say, I go to bed exhausted every night; however, it's one of those tired playful puppy exhaustion's... one of the best kinds. :)
Also, I have big news! I found my site assignment today. I will be living for the next 2 years in............. (drum roll please!)
Nazca, Ica, Peru
My next blog will be explaining more about this setup so stay tuned. There´s a lot to explain. Beginning tomorrow I will be out of town on some work-related training, so I will write when I can!
I hope all is well in the States! Whenever you think of it, please inform me of news thats going on because we don´t get newspapers here and I sparingly get internet access. Also, I miss the comics section.. so send the good ones! ;) Until next time...
We all have those memories of experiences in the sandbox growing up. The exploration, the learning, the laughter, even the tears. Well, I have found myself in the middle of another sandbox, in the desert of Nazca, Peru. Join me on my 2-year journey through experiences in the Peace Corps and all the surprises that it holds...
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Pensamientos en un combi (Thoughts on a busride)
“You don't want to hear the story
of my life, and anyway
I don't want to tell it, I want to listen
to the enormous waterfalls of the sun.
And anyway it's the same old story-
a few people just trying,
one way or another,
to survive.
… …
And nobody gets out of it, having to
swim through the fires to stay in
this world.”
-excerpt from “Dogfish” by Mary Oliver
(currently my favorite poem)
It can be undoubtedly stated that the United States of America is one of the most wealthiest countries in the entire world. Even our poorest of the poor most often can find means to have daily food, shelter, and in many cases even cell phones. Being such a wealthy country, our standard of living and our expectations for everything are extremely high. Our most common problems often stem from OVER consumption. [One of our biggest causes of death and disease is from obesity. We run into debt because what we have just isn't enough. Our environment, our Earth, is being torn apart because we want more “things”.] Our battle is often for perfection, not simply just management. We strive to thrive in the States. This is how life is for the wealthy. However, we are in the verrry distinct minority. The truth is, this is not the reality for the majority of the world. Most of the world strives to just merely SURVIVE. Most of the world instead doesn't even have the means to be able to over-consume in any way. Finding the means to merely get by is the key. For the most part, we as Americans never have to go through the pain and strife that most of the world does. We cannot even begin to relate to the struggles of daily life of these people. How things have gotten this way, I am not entirely sure. All I know is that is the reality.
These thoughts have been on my mind for quite some time now, but not until today was I swept away with passion on this subject. Today (Sabado, 10/16/2010) we took a field trip to Lima to check out a certain water treatment system and also view this place called Kallpa Wasi – Casa de Energia. It is the first and only plant of renewable energy in Peru. Please understand, when I say “plant” I mean tiny building with a backyard. This place had a compost area, a solar panel, a biodigestor area, a windmill (with 1.5 foot blades, might I add), and a small biodiesel converter. ...That's it. Honestly, it blew me away at first. Not because of the novelty, but rather the exact opposite. This was Peru's renewable energy plant? Simply paling in comparison to the US. [We must not forget to rewind time in American history to remember when our society was once there too. It is not until just recently when parts of our society have slowly started becoming more conscious of our actions. Of course that's not to say we're a sustainable country by any means, but we have enough wealth and stability to begin dabbling into it.] Through college I had studied and been exposed to an infinite amount of “green living” systems, ideas, and technology. I used to spend my free time reading articles, going to fairs, supporting local movements, recycling at football games, alternative transportation, putting on programs... all focused around “green conscious” living. But for the most part, none of that has any place here whatsoever. They are too busy just trying to get enough Soles ($) to survive the day. Why would they care about a windmill or solar panel if it does not directly assist them in survival today? How can they even begin to relate to that when they're cooking over a fire for their 7 kids in their tiny one-room thatched house? Here, it is completely irrelevant.
Again, most of the world is just striving to survive; the USA is a unique and very minute population in our world. Living in a developing country and seeing & experiencing a taste of what people go through has made this point all too obvious. The world is not always nice, the world is not clean, paved streets, happy faces, super-stores, fappuccinos, personal cars, fancy phones, clean water, green grass, more-or-less stable government, educated population, environmental activism. It is often difficult for us in the States to realize our wealth because wealth has been all we've ever known. Our expectations are set much higher and because of this, anything lower is often outrageous or unacceptable. Above anything else, I wish that more gratefulness would exist in heart of the American society. After all, it is just by pure luck that we have been born into the situations we have been born into. As I'm sitting there in the combi (bus) watching the Peru sites pass by, witnessing all the poverty, I can't help but think: What if I was dealt the hand of that Peruvian child?
of my life, and anyway
I don't want to tell it, I want to listen
to the enormous waterfalls of the sun.
And anyway it's the same old story-
a few people just trying,
one way or another,
to survive.
… …
And nobody gets out of it, having to
swim through the fires to stay in
this world.”
-excerpt from “Dogfish” by Mary Oliver
(currently my favorite poem)
It can be undoubtedly stated that the United States of America is one of the most wealthiest countries in the entire world. Even our poorest of the poor most often can find means to have daily food, shelter, and in many cases even cell phones. Being such a wealthy country, our standard of living and our expectations for everything are extremely high. Our most common problems often stem from OVER consumption. [One of our biggest causes of death and disease is from obesity. We run into debt because what we have just isn't enough. Our environment, our Earth, is being torn apart because we want more “things”.] Our battle is often for perfection, not simply just management. We strive to thrive in the States. This is how life is for the wealthy. However, we are in the verrry distinct minority. The truth is, this is not the reality for the majority of the world. Most of the world strives to just merely SURVIVE. Most of the world instead doesn't even have the means to be able to over-consume in any way. Finding the means to merely get by is the key. For the most part, we as Americans never have to go through the pain and strife that most of the world does. We cannot even begin to relate to the struggles of daily life of these people. How things have gotten this way, I am not entirely sure. All I know is that is the reality.
These thoughts have been on my mind for quite some time now, but not until today was I swept away with passion on this subject. Today (Sabado, 10/16/2010) we took a field trip to Lima to check out a certain water treatment system and also view this place called Kallpa Wasi – Casa de Energia. It is the first and only plant of renewable energy in Peru. Please understand, when I say “plant” I mean tiny building with a backyard. This place had a compost area, a solar panel, a biodigestor area, a windmill (with 1.5 foot blades, might I add), and a small biodiesel converter. ...That's it. Honestly, it blew me away at first. Not because of the novelty, but rather the exact opposite. This was Peru's renewable energy plant? Simply paling in comparison to the US. [We must not forget to rewind time in American history to remember when our society was once there too. It is not until just recently when parts of our society have slowly started becoming more conscious of our actions. Of course that's not to say we're a sustainable country by any means, but we have enough wealth and stability to begin dabbling into it.] Through college I had studied and been exposed to an infinite amount of “green living” systems, ideas, and technology. I used to spend my free time reading articles, going to fairs, supporting local movements, recycling at football games, alternative transportation, putting on programs... all focused around “green conscious” living. But for the most part, none of that has any place here whatsoever. They are too busy just trying to get enough Soles ($) to survive the day. Why would they care about a windmill or solar panel if it does not directly assist them in survival today? How can they even begin to relate to that when they're cooking over a fire for their 7 kids in their tiny one-room thatched house? Here, it is completely irrelevant.
Again, most of the world is just striving to survive; the USA is a unique and very minute population in our world. Living in a developing country and seeing & experiencing a taste of what people go through has made this point all too obvious. The world is not always nice, the world is not clean, paved streets, happy faces, super-stores, fappuccinos, personal cars, fancy phones, clean water, green grass, more-or-less stable government, educated population, environmental activism. It is often difficult for us in the States to realize our wealth because wealth has been all we've ever known. Our expectations are set much higher and because of this, anything lower is often outrageous or unacceptable. Above anything else, I wish that more gratefulness would exist in heart of the American society. After all, it is just by pure luck that we have been born into the situations we have been born into. As I'm sitting there in the combi (bus) watching the Peru sites pass by, witnessing all the poverty, I can't help but think: What if I was dealt the hand of that Peruvian child?
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Comida Peruana
Quick news flash: Had to go back to the PC doctor and he took my cast off (again, crazy doctor experience). Limping, but able to get around with a brace. Good news. Also, my Peruvian boyfriend Panchito (the llama) has passed away of unknown causes. We are all sad here at the Center because he was a good companion for us. He used to like when we scratched his neck like a dog. One time we even played futbol with him! Poor Panchito, moment of silencio por favor. Bad news. Furthermore, the Peruvian mayorial elections has finally come to an end. Our timing for entering into Peru was perfect for arriving into the superbly passionate action that happens during election time around here. Every empty wall is painted for the candidates, every plaza is filled with campaign events, every night sky is full of fireworks. Sometimes they got so excited about the fireworks that it sounded like a war as we tried to go to sleep... not to mention all the dog fights that incited because of all of the action. It all ended this Sunday (election day), so I'm wondering what will be painted on the walls, fill the plazas, and light up the sky now that its all over! No worries, we still have over about 400 Peruvian holidays to celebrate per year. Count me in! Good news.
FOOD. We all .l.o.v.e. food. But here, not only do they love it, they obsess over it. And it's good too. Like really, really good. The food we eat here is incredibly different than what we consume in the States. Every dish is authentic PERU- all the food is not only grown here, but the dishes have also been traditionally made and passed down for hundreds of years. Whereas in the States, we have a wide variety of food types that are not necessarily even native or have any relevance to the climates that we may be in and the food dishes that we make are essentially a hodgepodge of various cultures. I have really appreciated the thick tradition that surrounds the food here though. I have tried more variety of food than I even imagine existed. Even just the Fruits! There's a bazillion fruits sold here that I never even knew existed, and tastes that I have never even dreamed of before. It's amazing! Oh and our meals- incredible. I literally finish every single meal smiling because it was so good. Lomo saltado, Aji gallina, Tomales, Carapulcra, Pacha Manca, Cuy, Ceviche, Papa a la huancayna just to name a few. Check 'em out. Cook a few of the dishes and let me know what you think!
Food is a huge part of the Peruvian culture. It is their way of showing they care and is their center piece of life. They share everything here-- one of our favorite Peruvian customs that us PCVs have caught onto is “Invitame”.. it means “Invite me”.. meaning “Give me some of that food ya got there!” More often what you'll find is the Peruvian that has the food will “Te invito” (“I invite you”) invite you to share in her/his food. It's awesome and really comes in handy when someones got some cookies you want. ;D
I will say, there are a few USA treats that I indulge in from time to time. As many people know, I am a huge fan of peanut butter. I thought ahead and brought 2 jars with me here. (PS- send more!) I was trying to save it 'til I got really desperate, buuuut it only worked for about 2 weeks in. (It's funny how when you don't have access to something, it kind of makes you crave it even more!) I was sitting at my desk studying after a long day at Training, and I couldn't stop thinking about the Peanut Butter (mantequilla de mani) jars that were sitting in my top drawer. Finally I caved in. I went over to get it in the drawer and I could feel my mouth already watering in anticipation of the peanutty goodness. Giddily I went to go sit down to open it. I could feel my heart beating fast, hands sweating- it was an adrenaline rush for sure. Just opening a jar of PB, who woulda thought! I sure am glad that my host family doesn't like it, invitame's on this one!
On the subject of food, I will be cooking for my host family tonight! Southern BBQ & Cole Slaw. I can't say that I'm not a little nervous though. The last time I cooked for them it didn't turn out so well and my host sister joked about it with me for days after... so let's see what happens this time!
FOOD. We all .l.o.v.e. food. But here, not only do they love it, they obsess over it. And it's good too. Like really, really good. The food we eat here is incredibly different than what we consume in the States. Every dish is authentic PERU- all the food is not only grown here, but the dishes have also been traditionally made and passed down for hundreds of years. Whereas in the States, we have a wide variety of food types that are not necessarily even native or have any relevance to the climates that we may be in and the food dishes that we make are essentially a hodgepodge of various cultures. I have really appreciated the thick tradition that surrounds the food here though. I have tried more variety of food than I even imagine existed. Even just the Fruits! There's a bazillion fruits sold here that I never even knew existed, and tastes that I have never even dreamed of before. It's amazing! Oh and our meals- incredible. I literally finish every single meal smiling because it was so good. Lomo saltado, Aji gallina, Tomales, Carapulcra, Pacha Manca, Cuy, Ceviche, Papa a la huancayna just to name a few. Check 'em out. Cook a few of the dishes and let me know what you think!
Food is a huge part of the Peruvian culture. It is their way of showing they care and is their center piece of life. They share everything here-- one of our favorite Peruvian customs that us PCVs have caught onto is “Invitame”.. it means “Invite me”.. meaning “Give me some of that food ya got there!” More often what you'll find is the Peruvian that has the food will “Te invito” (“I invite you”) invite you to share in her/his food. It's awesome and really comes in handy when someones got some cookies you want. ;D
I will say, there are a few USA treats that I indulge in from time to time. As many people know, I am a huge fan of peanut butter. I thought ahead and brought 2 jars with me here. (PS- send more!) I was trying to save it 'til I got really desperate, buuuut it only worked for about 2 weeks in. (It's funny how when you don't have access to something, it kind of makes you crave it even more!) I was sitting at my desk studying after a long day at Training, and I couldn't stop thinking about the Peanut Butter (mantequilla de mani) jars that were sitting in my top drawer. Finally I caved in. I went over to get it in the drawer and I could feel my mouth already watering in anticipation of the peanutty goodness. Giddily I went to go sit down to open it. I could feel my heart beating fast, hands sweating- it was an adrenaline rush for sure. Just opening a jar of PB, who woulda thought! I sure am glad that my host family doesn't like it, invitame's on this one!
On the subject of food, I will be cooking for my host family tonight! Southern BBQ & Cole Slaw. I can't say that I'm not a little nervous though. The last time I cooked for them it didn't turn out so well and my host sister joked about it with me for days after... so let's see what happens this time!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
A Break In The Routine
Coming here to Peru for the Cuerpo de Paz, I expected curve balls, hurdles, and mountains to overcome... but I definitely didn't see this one coming.
This past Friday after a long day at school a bunch of us decided to play some futbol at a place near our Center. It was an intense game, as futbol around here usually is. Also, when we play here there is no such thing as green grass fields-- I'm talking old cement courts with a bunch of sand/mud dust all over. Five minutes in I took a spill landing flat on my knee. It hurt at impact, but adrenaline somehow temporarily erases a lot of pain. So I played the rest of the game fine. It wasn't until the game ended, before I realized that my knee was hurting. I figured that ice and Asprin would do the trick and I'd be up and ready to go the next morning (Sabado) because we had a big trip to Lima planned. Welllll, my inability to walk the next morning led my host mom to call our PC doctor. Somehow one thing led to another and I soon found myself lying on a doctors table in Lima getting a shot in the backside with several nurses and doctors trying to speak to me from every which way with words I could barely understand. A frightening time, to say the least, but I did my best to keep my composure as things were already hectic enough as it was. Wheelchairs, Xrays, and a few signatures away I then found myself being told I needed to put on “the gown”. I couldn't fully understand what was going on because I thought they were just going to give me a brace; after all, it was only a tiny hairline fracture on my knee. But as it turns out- Peruvians don't have braces, they have cast molds. Yeah. Sooo two Peruvian doctors then proceeded to mold a cast to my leg. I'm not talking a little knee cast or something. I'm talkin' my ENTIRE leg-- ankle to upper thigh. Yes, upper thigh-- and if you can just imagine the discomfort as I am trying to keep my gown down while they're fiddling with the cast mold... as I'm lying there wishing I could just wake up from this nightmare. Pretty much the only thing that kept me sane at this moment was I kept saying to myself “Well, at least I have on cute undies...!” Jajaja. After that, I found my way back a few hours later to my host family's doorstep. I was so drained at this moment that I honestly couldn't get any Spanish words out and just simply had to retreat to my room to lick my emotional wounds for a while.
My nickname is now “Caty la tortuga” (Caitlin the turtle) because I can't get around well with this monstrosity on my leg that I am incredibly slow. I feel bad for whoever is behind me walking down/up stairs! The fun part is that everyone wanted to sign my cast, so it now has a variety of english/spanish writings and drawings. Someone even drew my boyfriend Panchito (the llama we have at the PC Center that somehow has been dubbed mi novio by my host family- they thinks it's the funniest thing in the world). Jajaja. Oh and they also love to knock on it and pretend someone is knocking on the door. ...So, as with all things- for every bad there is some good. Life sure has a funny way of giving us surprises and challenging us, doesn't it? I feel this is Life's silent way of seeing how badly I truly want this. And this is only the beginning. But I'm ready.
This past Friday after a long day at school a bunch of us decided to play some futbol at a place near our Center. It was an intense game, as futbol around here usually is. Also, when we play here there is no such thing as green grass fields-- I'm talking old cement courts with a bunch of sand/mud dust all over. Five minutes in I took a spill landing flat on my knee. It hurt at impact, but adrenaline somehow temporarily erases a lot of pain. So I played the rest of the game fine. It wasn't until the game ended, before I realized that my knee was hurting. I figured that ice and Asprin would do the trick and I'd be up and ready to go the next morning (Sabado) because we had a big trip to Lima planned. Welllll, my inability to walk the next morning led my host mom to call our PC doctor. Somehow one thing led to another and I soon found myself lying on a doctors table in Lima getting a shot in the backside with several nurses and doctors trying to speak to me from every which way with words I could barely understand. A frightening time, to say the least, but I did my best to keep my composure as things were already hectic enough as it was. Wheelchairs, Xrays, and a few signatures away I then found myself being told I needed to put on “the gown”. I couldn't fully understand what was going on because I thought they were just going to give me a brace; after all, it was only a tiny hairline fracture on my knee. But as it turns out- Peruvians don't have braces, they have cast molds. Yeah. Sooo two Peruvian doctors then proceeded to mold a cast to my leg. I'm not talking a little knee cast or something. I'm talkin' my ENTIRE leg-- ankle to upper thigh. Yes, upper thigh-- and if you can just imagine the discomfort as I am trying to keep my gown down while they're fiddling with the cast mold... as I'm lying there wishing I could just wake up from this nightmare. Pretty much the only thing that kept me sane at this moment was I kept saying to myself “Well, at least I have on cute undies...!” Jajaja. After that, I found my way back a few hours later to my host family's doorstep. I was so drained at this moment that I honestly couldn't get any Spanish words out and just simply had to retreat to my room to lick my emotional wounds for a while.
My nickname is now “Caty la tortuga” (Caitlin the turtle) because I can't get around well with this monstrosity on my leg that I am incredibly slow. I feel bad for whoever is behind me walking down/up stairs! The fun part is that everyone wanted to sign my cast, so it now has a variety of english/spanish writings and drawings. Someone even drew my boyfriend Panchito (the llama we have at the PC Center that somehow has been dubbed mi novio by my host family- they thinks it's the funniest thing in the world). Jajaja. Oh and they also love to knock on it and pretend someone is knocking on the door. ...So, as with all things- for every bad there is some good. Life sure has a funny way of giving us surprises and challenging us, doesn't it? I feel this is Life's silent way of seeing how badly I truly want this. And this is only the beginning. But I'm ready.
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