Eyes slowly opening to the sound of a candle being lit near the foot of my bed. Did I even fall asleep last night? It’s still dark outside. “Catalina, ya son las 3:30” I guess I better get up. My feet fall to the cool, muddy floor. I look around in the candle light- I’m in a house, a room that is a house, made of straw. Their ceiling is sticks and tarps. The floor- the earth. This is how they live. I understand a little better now.
Eggs crackling over the fire. The calming sound of breakfast being prepared. I stumble my way out behind the hut through the dark and the rocks to find a lone spot to do my morning duty. There’s no such things as bathrooms here. I find my way back. By that time she is waiting for me, my friend Diana. She tells me I need to get dressed. She hands me a long sleeve shirt, a sweater, a large rag, and gloves. All this? But we’re in the desert! She explains the intensity of the heat out en las chacras, in the fields. So I layer-up.
“Vamos Cata ya es la hora!” Alright…. Vamos. We make our way walking to the other end of town where there’s about 50 people standing around waiting. I begin walking towards them with Diana and someone says “MIRA!” Everyone turns to look. They’re staring at me, every single one. They begin saying comments- Look at that white girl, she’s never going to last, I bet she goes home in an hour. It caught me by surprise. We walked over to a truck that was already filled with 20 women in the back… and we had to fit in too. I feel the burning of their eyes on my skin, their comments flood my ears.. I take a deep breath and attempt to squeeze my way in. The first thing I do upon entering the truck is I knock 3 people over. The second thing I do is step on 4 people’s feet. Great start, bigshot. I finally find a spot.
“What is this gringa doing here?” everyone is asking… I’m currently asking myself the same thing. Diana explained to them that I wanted to see what it’s like to work en la chacra, to understand the experience. Yeah, what she said! Around here in Peru, people are initially very stand-offish to outsiders, so I usually wait for my moment to slip in a good joke to try to get their respect. Eventually I made it, they laughed, and I was in. They still didn’t understand why a white girl was coming to the farm to do extremely intense manual labor with them, but at least she’s kinda funny.
We arrive to the farm as the sun is beginning to peak above the horizon. We eat our breakfast and get on to work. We all wear rags around our heads and necks, hats, long sleeves and jackets… and huge straw bags with a belt around our waist in the front to hold the seeds. Today we are planting cebolla… onions. We huddle around huge sacks of onion seeds, transferring as much as we can into our own personal bags, probably about 20lbs each (which we refill about every 20-30 minutes in the field). Then we head to the wide open, neatly plowed dirt/rocky field. Each woman lines up, each one to a line on the field, as if we are beginning a race of some sort. I look around me, nervous, anxious. Everyone kept telling me how difficult this job is, that I’m not going to be able to walk the next day or even sit down. Is what they say true? Well, I guess I will find out soon enough…
And we begin. Bending down, planting each seed one by one. Reach in the sack, plant the seeds, reach, plant, stretch, step, bend, repeat. 30 minutes in- “This isn’t half bad! It’s actually kind of fun.” Reach, plant, reach, plant, stretch, step, bend, repeat. 1 hour in- “Soooo when do we get a break? Heh…” “Oh, we don’t get breaks.” No breaks? Alright, I’m strong, I can do this…
The sun begins rising. The rays begin to strike like daggers on our backs. The heat rising from the ground stabs from below. Furthermore, I am tall. 5’8”. I am at LEAST one foot taller than every other single person there. Height in this game is NOT an advantage. I am bending, stretching, lunging… for hours on end. What keeps me going is the other women working alongside me. We plant side by side, talking of whatever interest crosses our minds. We keep each other going. 4 hours in, I stood up to look around and starting getting dizzy, actually wondering if I was going to be able to make it. 5 hours in, I can barely bend over anymore. My legs hurt so badly that I am now having to kneel to plant the seeds. I am falling behind, big time. The others keep an eye out for me and help me out. By this time, we are all begging for water. Some ladies are screaming, pleading to the owners to give us water. Today the owners forgot it, so we are left without.
6 hours in, my mind is mush, my legs are fire, my body is exhausted. We’re done. I find the nearest piece of shade and plop down. So THIS is working en la chacra. This is what the women do day in and day out in order to make the minimum to feed their kids. I was absolutely spend after 1 day of this, but to even think that these people do this back-breaking work 6 days a week, every week just absolutely astounds me. And then to think they go home, have to cook and clean and take care of their kids on top of that…
So it seems that I have accomplished my goal of understanding a bit more about their reality. I wanted to experience it, I wanted to go through it with them, so my body could understand too. So now, as I am working with them in their communities, I have a little bit better grasp on their situations.
Life is really hard for these people. And it’s all just chance that they have been born into these situations, and I have been born into mine. What if it was the other way around? For one minute, just imagine yourself in their shoes.
Do you feel the gratefulness now? As North Americans, we are so incredibly lucky to live how we are. I wish more people in the States could realize that…
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Acostumbrar-ing
In the beginning of any new scenario there is always a “choque,” a crash/collision. When joining a new culture, it takes time to figure out and get used to the ways things work. How the people act and think, and the general ambiance of the community. It’s taken me a good 2-3 months to start feeling comfortable and not as confused here in Nasca. Taking the time to understand the culture was a key step towards me integrating into the community. Here are some of the funnier things I’ve had to get accustomed to...
You know you are starting to get accustomed to life in NASCA Peru when:
-You are asking for another helping of sheep’s stomach
-You can´t smell the scent of burning trash anymore because it's so normal
-Talking about ‘how hot it is’ happens 10 times a day
-You start expecting to be catcalled every 5 minutes (and when it doesn’t happen for a while you wonder what’s wrong!)
-Car horns honking in all different sound styles is your constant background silence
-People peeing/being naked in public doesn’t really phase you anymore
-You know all the regaeton songs by heart (because there’s only a hand-full and they play them everywhere, all time)
-It’s odd to see actual water in the riverbeds
-Dust/dirt everywhere, all the time so sweeping is a daily activity
-What is air conditioner?
-The thought of drinking water out of the tap seems completely surreal
-Speaking in English doesn’t come natural anymore
-Dogs humping in the street is the typical nature scenery
-People showing up an hour late (or not showing at all) to a meeting is to be expected
-Cereal and milk is a delicacy
-You sweat as much from the heat while sleeping at night as you do from exercising
-It is understood that grass is for looking at, not lying/walking on
-You bring your own toilet paper roll everywhere you go
-Every corner you turn, someone knows you and stops to talk
-You understand and even start using some of the slang words and frases
-You realize that there’s more plastic figurines of Mother Mary than there are trees
Well there you are!
I also wanted to say a word about my birthday (feb 26th)... it was awesome!
Six of my volunteer friends came to my site and we went out with some of my Peruvian amigos to go dancing and what not. My favorite music to dance here is called Huayno, so naturally I requested to dance to it all night. =) Here's a pic or two.
Dancing is definitely one of those cross-cultural enjoyments.
But I must say, Peruvians definitely have amazing dance moves...
But Americans DO have S'MORES!!!
**I want to give a huge GRACIAS to all of you who shared your love with my over my birthday. All the calls, letters, packages, emails, are SO appreciated. In a difficult job, your support and love helps so much.**
You know you are starting to get accustomed to life in NASCA Peru when:
-You are asking for another helping of sheep’s stomach
-You can´t smell the scent of burning trash anymore because it's so normal
-Talking about ‘how hot it is’ happens 10 times a day
-You start expecting to be catcalled every 5 minutes (and when it doesn’t happen for a while you wonder what’s wrong!)
-Car horns honking in all different sound styles is your constant background silence
-People peeing/being naked in public doesn’t really phase you anymore
-You know all the regaeton songs by heart (because there’s only a hand-full and they play them everywhere, all time)
-It’s odd to see actual water in the riverbeds
-Dust/dirt everywhere, all the time so sweeping is a daily activity
-What is air conditioner?
-The thought of drinking water out of the tap seems completely surreal
-Speaking in English doesn’t come natural anymore
-Dogs humping in the street is the typical nature scenery
-People showing up an hour late (or not showing at all) to a meeting is to be expected
-Cereal and milk is a delicacy
-You sweat as much from the heat while sleeping at night as you do from exercising
-It is understood that grass is for looking at, not lying/walking on
-You bring your own toilet paper roll everywhere you go
-Every corner you turn, someone knows you and stops to talk
-You understand and even start using some of the slang words and frases
-You realize that there’s more plastic figurines of Mother Mary than there are trees
Well there you are!
I also wanted to say a word about my birthday (feb 26th)... it was awesome!
Six of my volunteer friends came to my site and we went out with some of my Peruvian amigos to go dancing and what not. My favorite music to dance here is called Huayno, so naturally I requested to dance to it all night. =) Here's a pic or two.
Dancing is definitely one of those cross-cultural enjoyments.
But I must say, Peruvians definitely have amazing dance moves...
But Americans DO have S'MORES!!!
**I want to give a huge GRACIAS to all of you who shared your love with my over my birthday. All the calls, letters, packages, emails, are SO appreciated. In a difficult job, your support and love helps so much.**
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Getting The Basics
As much as I desire and strive to open the eyes of the communities here, I believe the opposite is happening right now. Living and working day in and day out in a developing country such as Peru has completely picked apart, scrambled up, and then thrown on the wall all that I thought I knew about the world. Before I came here, I considered myself a pretty well-educated, well-experienced, open-minded young woman. I’ve travelled the world, studied in a well-acknowledged University, and had many educational experiences growing up; however, there is nothing that could have prepared me for the life that I find myself living here. I never knew I had so much to learn.
First off, everything I am writing about is my personal thoughts and opinions. It does not reflect that of any other institution or entity.
Second, AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, now that I got that out I can begin. To be honest with you, the longer I am here the deeper I find myself getting into this culture and the system of things here. In one sense- it’s scary and depressing. In the other- it’s exciting and motivating. Living in a foreign country is a complete 180 degree turn in lifestyle. The people here deal with issues that us as Americans rarely ever even think about in our lives. The basics of life- shelter (safe and sound), water, food, wastes deposit. These are the basic essentials to human life. These very essentials are the daily struggle for a large portion of the world; the people I work with included.
Shelter: Many of the people I work with live in a “house” that is essentially several straw mats placed together to form walls with a tarp as a roof. Cook over wood-burning fire that fills their lungs day in and day out. The floor is dirt, flies fill the house, one bed is enough for the entire family, electricity is often not an option. Many mothers are single (because their husband have left them) with 3 or 4 children running around- while the mother has to leave them at home all day while she works in the farm fields. Of the mothers that do have husbands, the majority are beaten on a regular basis. Domestic violence is unfortunately a very common thing here. Why don’t the women try to stop it? Because if they stand up for themselves, often time the husband will withhold giving them money for food (because he is in charge of the money) or will just leave them for an “obedient” woman, leaving the wife alone to fend for all the children.
*Photo1: A view of one of the pueblos I am working with "Cajuca".
Water: As the saying goes “El agua es la vida”—Water is life. This statement holds true in every respect, too bad it’s easier said than done here in the desert. Many of the homes in the pueblos do not have water connection. They purchase the water every few days from a water truck that comes by. And for the homes that do have water connections, they receive water for only 30 minutes per day. The water they receive is contaminated and if they do not boil the water before drinking (which a lot of them don’t) then they and their growing kids get sicknesses such as parasites and diarrhea (the leading cause of malnutrition within children). Asi es.
*Photo2: An example of the containers that some families keep their water in.
Food: Their food mainly consists of white rice and potatoes. For many kids, the mothers give them whatever amounts of sugar they want so they will stop whining- sodas, cookies, ice cream. That’s pretty much what goes on.
Waste deposit: First off, I want you to imagine your bathroom situation right now: complete privacy (well, unless you live in the college residence halls…), clean porcelain throne, a nice clean tiled floor, sometimes even a nice little mat to put your clean barefeet on. *siiiiigh* Oh how nice! Now take a moment to imagine the a large portion of the rest of the world: no bathroom whatsoever. Having to duck into the shadows of the fields to lay your piece in peace. Flies everywhere. The same flies that enjoy their lunch on your shit are the same ones that bring your shit onto your lunch. Yet again, causing sicknesses in many people. Open defecation is a serious problem. It’s low, embarrassing, dirty, the cause of a lot of contamination.
Another part of waste deposit is the trash. Solid waste. Basura. Residuos sólidos. It is surely one thing that is not lacking in this place. It is everywhere. In the streets, in the rivers, around the houses… everywhere. There’s a trash system, but it comes sporadically and doesn’t hit everywhere. The people have a dirty habit of just throwing their trash wherever they may be. “The world is your trashcan” someone once said. Well, unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way. The trash that is collected is brought to an area a few miles outside the city. There is a bunch of people that go out there and sort through it all (with no sort of body protection) collecting the recyclable goods so they can sell them and make money. All the rest of the trash they burn right there. This is the trash system here.
*Photo3: River bed of Tierras Blancas that runs through Nasca. Most of the year there is no water in the river bed, so many people here use it as their personal trash dump.
So these are some of the situations going on where I am at. This is just the beginning, but this is enough to express right now. I can only hope to improve some of these situations, even just a little bit. But for now, I am the student. Learning little by little. Making mistakes and stumbling a bit, but a toddler doesn’t learn how to walk in just one day.
First off, everything I am writing about is my personal thoughts and opinions. It does not reflect that of any other institution or entity.
Second, AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, now that I got that out I can begin. To be honest with you, the longer I am here the deeper I find myself getting into this culture and the system of things here. In one sense- it’s scary and depressing. In the other- it’s exciting and motivating. Living in a foreign country is a complete 180 degree turn in lifestyle. The people here deal with issues that us as Americans rarely ever even think about in our lives. The basics of life- shelter (safe and sound), water, food, wastes deposit. These are the basic essentials to human life. These very essentials are the daily struggle for a large portion of the world; the people I work with included.
Shelter: Many of the people I work with live in a “house” that is essentially several straw mats placed together to form walls with a tarp as a roof. Cook over wood-burning fire that fills their lungs day in and day out. The floor is dirt, flies fill the house, one bed is enough for the entire family, electricity is often not an option. Many mothers are single (because their husband have left them) with 3 or 4 children running around- while the mother has to leave them at home all day while she works in the farm fields. Of the mothers that do have husbands, the majority are beaten on a regular basis. Domestic violence is unfortunately a very common thing here. Why don’t the women try to stop it? Because if they stand up for themselves, often time the husband will withhold giving them money for food (because he is in charge of the money) or will just leave them for an “obedient” woman, leaving the wife alone to fend for all the children.
*Photo1: A view of one of the pueblos I am working with "Cajuca".
Water: As the saying goes “El agua es la vida”—Water is life. This statement holds true in every respect, too bad it’s easier said than done here in the desert. Many of the homes in the pueblos do not have water connection. They purchase the water every few days from a water truck that comes by. And for the homes that do have water connections, they receive water for only 30 minutes per day. The water they receive is contaminated and if they do not boil the water before drinking (which a lot of them don’t) then they and their growing kids get sicknesses such as parasites and diarrhea (the leading cause of malnutrition within children). Asi es.
*Photo2: An example of the containers that some families keep their water in.
Food: Their food mainly consists of white rice and potatoes. For many kids, the mothers give them whatever amounts of sugar they want so they will stop whining- sodas, cookies, ice cream. That’s pretty much what goes on.
Waste deposit: First off, I want you to imagine your bathroom situation right now: complete privacy (well, unless you live in the college residence halls…), clean porcelain throne, a nice clean tiled floor, sometimes even a nice little mat to put your clean barefeet on. *siiiiigh* Oh how nice! Now take a moment to imagine the a large portion of the rest of the world: no bathroom whatsoever. Having to duck into the shadows of the fields to lay your piece in peace. Flies everywhere. The same flies that enjoy their lunch on your shit are the same ones that bring your shit onto your lunch. Yet again, causing sicknesses in many people. Open defecation is a serious problem. It’s low, embarrassing, dirty, the cause of a lot of contamination.
Another part of waste deposit is the trash. Solid waste. Basura. Residuos sólidos. It is surely one thing that is not lacking in this place. It is everywhere. In the streets, in the rivers, around the houses… everywhere. There’s a trash system, but it comes sporadically and doesn’t hit everywhere. The people have a dirty habit of just throwing their trash wherever they may be. “The world is your trashcan” someone once said. Well, unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way. The trash that is collected is brought to an area a few miles outside the city. There is a bunch of people that go out there and sort through it all (with no sort of body protection) collecting the recyclable goods so they can sell them and make money. All the rest of the trash they burn right there. This is the trash system here.
*Photo3: River bed of Tierras Blancas that runs through Nasca. Most of the year there is no water in the river bed, so many people here use it as their personal trash dump.
So these are some of the situations going on where I am at. This is just the beginning, but this is enough to express right now. I can only hope to improve some of these situations, even just a little bit. But for now, I am the student. Learning little by little. Making mistakes and stumbling a bit, but a toddler doesn’t learn how to walk in just one day.
Friday, January 7, 2011
¡Las fiestas!
It isn't a secret that Peruvians love to celebrate. They have celebrations for just about everything- birthdays, deaths, hundreds of saints, various types of foods, you name it! But the time of the year they love to celebrate the most is Christmas. I have recently gotten the pleasure to pass Christmas here in Peru, and I would love to share my experience.
Christmas. The birthday of Jesus. In Peru, this time of year lasts from December 1st until the around beginning of January. First it starts with the Paneton and the hot chocolate (which they just call “chocolate”... which was very confusing for me at first). Paneton is essentially this huge cylindrical loaf of very sweet bread with all these gummy “fruit” pieces inside. The “Chocolate” is essentially hot chocolate on steroids-- loads of sugar, spices, and well, chocolate! And Peruvians don't like to just give you a little slice of Paneton. No. They give you like a fourth of the loaf on your plate. You pick it up and it's literally bigger than your face. And being culturally sensitive, you have to eat it ALL. And the several cups of liquid sugar that they give you... I mean hot chocolate. 0;-) Let's be honest here, I like my sweets! But for some extremely unfortunate reason----- I hate Paneton. I hate the smell, the taste, the texture, the stupid gummy pieces that get stuck to every part of your mouth. But, unfortunately... whether I like it or not, it really doesn't matter here. They're still going to serve it to you at every single gathering and you are still going to eat it. And with a smile!
So, if you can learn to manage the Paneton and the hot chocolate, you're off to a good start for the entire month of Diciembre. Next comes the music. Usually when Christmas comes around, I really look forward to my family popping in some Joni Mitchell Christmas classics or even the country versions of the same songs; however, for some reason this town of Nasca only has ONE Christmas CD. They play it in their houses, on the radio, in the streets, at mass, in the taxis, on the news, in the restaurants. It is everywhere. I try to be really culturally understanding, and for the most part I do pretty well with that here, but for the life of me I cannot understand why they like this one CD so much. It is literally a bunch of 10 year old kids screaming into a microphone in really high pitches singing words that I can't comprehend. After 2 weeks of it I thought I was going to run up the walls. Eventually, I asked my host family if we could switch it up a bit and play a Christmas CD that I had (thanks mom!). And that scheme worked............ for half a day. HAHAHAHA. It's a very interesting feeling to be counting down the days until Christmas, not so that Santa will come to give you presents, but so it can be over.
Besides these unusual experiences, there were also a lot of really chevre (cool) things about this time of year. One thing that really struck me was the dances. They have this certain type of dance that is very typical of this region they call “Negritos” (it stems from various types of dances from African slaves many years ago). Think of the dance style “step” back home... but with incredible Peruvian flair. It is a fun and enrapturing dance style that I grew to appreciate a lot. You may even find me practicing it in my room from time to time!
Another activity that the jovenes (younger crowd) participates in aside from the dances is the Nacimientos (Nativity scenes). I don't know if it's just Nasca, or Peru in general... but they are obsessed with Nacimientos. They is at least one in EVERY single building in the entire city. And it's not just the typical scene that one may think of with Mary, Joseph and the 3 wise men in a manger... but they have waterfall scenes, christmas lights, and an entire spread of about 15 different types of animal flocks. It's intense! Aside from this, every colegio (school) in the entire district has a Nacimiento competition. This consists of creating a real live Nacimiento scene (with the students as the various actors) and then acting out the entire Bible passage leading up to the birth of Jesus, acting out Mary's birthing pains and all. The donkeys, chickens, cows, ducks, and dogs played an integral role in the realization of this scene. ;D I enjoyed going to the various colegios to watch their plays. One time I even got to hold crying baby Jesus!
Speaking of baby Jesus...................... baby Jesus dolls are incredibly sacred here. They love them. At Christmas mass, all the girls, women, and even old ladies brought their individual plastic baby Jesus dolls in a cradle in order to be blessed by the priest with a shower of hold water. One time I went to mass with some Peruvians and after the service they all stood in a huge line in order to go up and kiss the plastic baby Jesus doll that the priest had. While standing in line I was kind of looking around for someone that was about to giggle too, but to my surprise everyone was extremely serious and anxious to kiss the plastic Jesus doll. (Also, what interests me even further is that all the baby Jesus dolls are white skin, blonde hair, blue eyes. It's not very difficult to realize the most respected race around here... but that is a topic for another time.)
So after you eat your Paneton, drink your Chocolate, dance with the Negritos, fix your Nacimiento, and get your baby Jesus doll blessed... you are ready for the festivities! When the clock strikes 12 midnight greeting the morning of the 25th the entire country is all out in the streets. Fireworks are everywhere- in front of every household, in the skies, everywhere. They are so loud that it sounds like a war of some sorts is going on. Kids are throwing them at each other, at the street lights, and into the skies. It's fun, exciting, and loco to say the least!
Overall, I am so glad I have gotten to experience this time of year here in Peru. There were a lot of things very different than what us Americans are used to, but I love how they have their own rendition. Although, because of this incredibly different Christmas atmosphere, I can't help but wonder what Christmas celebrations are like for other countries in the world. I'm so curious so if you have had a Christmas adventure in another country send me an email and let me know!
Hasta luego amigos~~ PS- I love your comments on this blog. I want to know your thoughts and questions and ideas! So please feel free......
Christmas. The birthday of Jesus. In Peru, this time of year lasts from December 1st until the around beginning of January. First it starts with the Paneton and the hot chocolate (which they just call “chocolate”... which was very confusing for me at first). Paneton is essentially this huge cylindrical loaf of very sweet bread with all these gummy “fruit” pieces inside. The “Chocolate” is essentially hot chocolate on steroids-- loads of sugar, spices, and well, chocolate! And Peruvians don't like to just give you a little slice of Paneton. No. They give you like a fourth of the loaf on your plate. You pick it up and it's literally bigger than your face. And being culturally sensitive, you have to eat it ALL. And the several cups of liquid sugar that they give you... I mean hot chocolate. 0;-) Let's be honest here, I like my sweets! But for some extremely unfortunate reason----- I hate Paneton. I hate the smell, the taste, the texture, the stupid gummy pieces that get stuck to every part of your mouth. But, unfortunately... whether I like it or not, it really doesn't matter here. They're still going to serve it to you at every single gathering and you are still going to eat it. And with a smile!
So, if you can learn to manage the Paneton and the hot chocolate, you're off to a good start for the entire month of Diciembre. Next comes the music. Usually when Christmas comes around, I really look forward to my family popping in some Joni Mitchell Christmas classics or even the country versions of the same songs; however, for some reason this town of Nasca only has ONE Christmas CD. They play it in their houses, on the radio, in the streets, at mass, in the taxis, on the news, in the restaurants. It is everywhere. I try to be really culturally understanding, and for the most part I do pretty well with that here, but for the life of me I cannot understand why they like this one CD so much. It is literally a bunch of 10 year old kids screaming into a microphone in really high pitches singing words that I can't comprehend. After 2 weeks of it I thought I was going to run up the walls. Eventually, I asked my host family if we could switch it up a bit and play a Christmas CD that I had (thanks mom!). And that scheme worked............ for half a day. HAHAHAHA. It's a very interesting feeling to be counting down the days until Christmas, not so that Santa will come to give you presents, but so it can be over.
Besides these unusual experiences, there were also a lot of really chevre (cool) things about this time of year. One thing that really struck me was the dances. They have this certain type of dance that is very typical of this region they call “Negritos” (it stems from various types of dances from African slaves many years ago). Think of the dance style “step” back home... but with incredible Peruvian flair. It is a fun and enrapturing dance style that I grew to appreciate a lot. You may even find me practicing it in my room from time to time!
Another activity that the jovenes (younger crowd) participates in aside from the dances is the Nacimientos (Nativity scenes). I don't know if it's just Nasca, or Peru in general... but they are obsessed with Nacimientos. They is at least one in EVERY single building in the entire city. And it's not just the typical scene that one may think of with Mary, Joseph and the 3 wise men in a manger... but they have waterfall scenes, christmas lights, and an entire spread of about 15 different types of animal flocks. It's intense! Aside from this, every colegio (school) in the entire district has a Nacimiento competition. This consists of creating a real live Nacimiento scene (with the students as the various actors) and then acting out the entire Bible passage leading up to the birth of Jesus, acting out Mary's birthing pains and all. The donkeys, chickens, cows, ducks, and dogs played an integral role in the realization of this scene. ;D I enjoyed going to the various colegios to watch their plays. One time I even got to hold crying baby Jesus!
Speaking of baby Jesus...................... baby Jesus dolls are incredibly sacred here. They love them. At Christmas mass, all the girls, women, and even old ladies brought their individual plastic baby Jesus dolls in a cradle in order to be blessed by the priest with a shower of hold water. One time I went to mass with some Peruvians and after the service they all stood in a huge line in order to go up and kiss the plastic baby Jesus doll that the priest had. While standing in line I was kind of looking around for someone that was about to giggle too, but to my surprise everyone was extremely serious and anxious to kiss the plastic Jesus doll. (Also, what interests me even further is that all the baby Jesus dolls are white skin, blonde hair, blue eyes. It's not very difficult to realize the most respected race around here... but that is a topic for another time.)
So after you eat your Paneton, drink your Chocolate, dance with the Negritos, fix your Nacimiento, and get your baby Jesus doll blessed... you are ready for the festivities! When the clock strikes 12 midnight greeting the morning of the 25th the entire country is all out in the streets. Fireworks are everywhere- in front of every household, in the skies, everywhere. They are so loud that it sounds like a war of some sorts is going on. Kids are throwing them at each other, at the street lights, and into the skies. It's fun, exciting, and loco to say the least!
Overall, I am so glad I have gotten to experience this time of year here in Peru. There were a lot of things very different than what us Americans are used to, but I love how they have their own rendition. Although, because of this incredibly different Christmas atmosphere, I can't help but wonder what Christmas celebrations are like for other countries in the world. I'm so curious so if you have had a Christmas adventure in another country send me an email and let me know!
Hasta luego amigos~~ PS- I love your comments on this blog. I want to know your thoughts and questions and ideas! So please feel free......
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Real World: Nazca
After three weeks of being at site, the real world has begun to hit. Keep in mind that each Peace Corps representative has a completely different site with a completely different story. A good majority of my fellow volunteer companions are living in conditions very different from mine: very small communities (sometimes 300 people), pooping in cockroach-ridden latrines, bathing with 1L of water per day (just think: one nalgene full per day. Thats IT.) because their town only gets water every 2 weeks, hours away from urban life, or even without cell-phone service (*gasp* How can they ever survive?!). I, on the other hand, have somehow wound up in a tourist-ridden city (of a zone of over 50,000 people), in a house with running water, sewage system, and access to internet and phone service. But each has their ups and downs- we all carry burdens of the job, but in different ways.
For these first three months, we as PCVs spend our time gathering information in order to prepare our Community Diagnostic. Essentially, a Community Diagnostic is a really long compiled report about our specific community- the culture, the people, the problems, the instituations, the workings of it... everything! In order for us to do beneficial, sustainable projects we need to first make sure we understand what the community needs. This includes doing interviews, surveys (with over 100 people), meetings, collaborations-- anything we can think of in order to learn about the people's needs here. At the end of the 3 months we have to present our Diagnostic to our entire community and to the PC staff. Quite a load! Yes, it is a lot of work, but at the same time I really appreciate that they make us do these because it allows us to understand our community more before we begin working with them, which is essential. Since I am the first PCV to ever step her little foot into Nazca, I am the first to find out all of this information for the volunteers to follow after I leave. It sure is never boring!
These last three weeks have been intense, exciting, scary, fun, frustrating, challenging, and overall a good start to the rest of my life here in Nazca for the next few years. The thing about working in a big city here in Peru is that in order to make progress I have to make myself known by all the bigwigs. I need the town's recognition, respect, and support in order for me to move forward with projects. SO basically I have spent my first three weeks meeting as many higher-ups as I can to let them in on what I am doing. Also, speaking with these different people allows me to learn a lot more about the runnings of the city- how things function, who does what, what problems are there. There are a lot of things for a person to learn about a new city. My goal is to try to understand as much as I possibly can so that I can best approach the projects I have in mind. So far I have been in working with: the mayor of the province of Nazca, the Nazca water-systems company (se llama EMAPAVIGSSA), the Office of Environmental Health in the Hospital, the Red Cross, the Office of Environmental Health in the Municipality, the Ministry of Women and Social Development, several local reach-out groups (Vaso de Leche y Comedor Popular), the director of the school-systems of Nazca, Rotary Club International, the Madre of the Catholic Church (who does a lot of outreach), and several directors of various schools and pueblos outside of the city. As much information I begin to learn, I feel like there is so much more to know. This is the beginning base of my Diagnostic. A little over two-months more and hopefully I will have a better grasp on things... but between you and me- I think I'm going to need a lot more than 3 months to understand this community. It's a whole new world here. A whole new world.
Por eso, every day is a new surprise of things to come.
It's kind of funny: since I am still learning Spanish, I sometimes don't understand what is going on... so when I trust the person I am working with I kind of just go along with it... and honestly, those are the times where the coolest stuff happens! It usually happens when I'm working with some business man and he mumbles something to me in Spanish really fast (that I don't understand) and then makes a phone call and then something happens-- whether it be jumping into the seat of a garbage truck to see how the garbage system works, being taken in a Municipality vehicle to the middle of nowhere to witness where they burn all their trash, being herded into the middle of a huge crowd to watch a Peruvian dance competition for 2 hours, taxi ride to a nearby town on the beach for an event on wind energy in Peru, climbing to the top of a really high hill so we can inspect a certain well-water system, or even one time I wound up at a Nazquenian hand-crafted pottery event. The opportunities are limitless for random lost-in-translation moments... I wonder what is to come!
As for now, I hear some Peruvian music blaring through the window from the main plaza so I am going to see what all the noise is about. *10 Soles says there's a school-wide dance going on!
*side note: Nuevo Sol is their currency here! 3 soles=1 dollar. (a.k.a. I bet you'll owe me $3)
For these first three months, we as PCVs spend our time gathering information in order to prepare our Community Diagnostic. Essentially, a Community Diagnostic is a really long compiled report about our specific community- the culture, the people, the problems, the instituations, the workings of it... everything! In order for us to do beneficial, sustainable projects we need to first make sure we understand what the community needs. This includes doing interviews, surveys (with over 100 people), meetings, collaborations-- anything we can think of in order to learn about the people's needs here. At the end of the 3 months we have to present our Diagnostic to our entire community and to the PC staff. Quite a load! Yes, it is a lot of work, but at the same time I really appreciate that they make us do these because it allows us to understand our community more before we begin working with them, which is essential. Since I am the first PCV to ever step her little foot into Nazca, I am the first to find out all of this information for the volunteers to follow after I leave. It sure is never boring!
These last three weeks have been intense, exciting, scary, fun, frustrating, challenging, and overall a good start to the rest of my life here in Nazca for the next few years. The thing about working in a big city here in Peru is that in order to make progress I have to make myself known by all the bigwigs. I need the town's recognition, respect, and support in order for me to move forward with projects. SO basically I have spent my first three weeks meeting as many higher-ups as I can to let them in on what I am doing. Also, speaking with these different people allows me to learn a lot more about the runnings of the city- how things function, who does what, what problems are there. There are a lot of things for a person to learn about a new city. My goal is to try to understand as much as I possibly can so that I can best approach the projects I have in mind. So far I have been in working with: the mayor of the province of Nazca, the Nazca water-systems company (se llama EMAPAVIGSSA), the Office of Environmental Health in the Hospital, the Red Cross, the Office of Environmental Health in the Municipality, the Ministry of Women and Social Development, several local reach-out groups (Vaso de Leche y Comedor Popular), the director of the school-systems of Nazca, Rotary Club International, the Madre of the Catholic Church (who does a lot of outreach), and several directors of various schools and pueblos outside of the city. As much information I begin to learn, I feel like there is so much more to know. This is the beginning base of my Diagnostic. A little over two-months more and hopefully I will have a better grasp on things... but between you and me- I think I'm going to need a lot more than 3 months to understand this community. It's a whole new world here. A whole new world.
Por eso, every day is a new surprise of things to come.
It's kind of funny: since I am still learning Spanish, I sometimes don't understand what is going on... so when I trust the person I am working with I kind of just go along with it... and honestly, those are the times where the coolest stuff happens! It usually happens when I'm working with some business man and he mumbles something to me in Spanish really fast (that I don't understand) and then makes a phone call and then something happens-- whether it be jumping into the seat of a garbage truck to see how the garbage system works, being taken in a Municipality vehicle to the middle of nowhere to witness where they burn all their trash, being herded into the middle of a huge crowd to watch a Peruvian dance competition for 2 hours, taxi ride to a nearby town on the beach for an event on wind energy in Peru, climbing to the top of a really high hill so we can inspect a certain well-water system, or even one time I wound up at a Nazquenian hand-crafted pottery event. The opportunities are limitless for random lost-in-translation moments... I wonder what is to come!
As for now, I hear some Peruvian music blaring through the window from the main plaza so I am going to see what all the noise is about. *10 Soles says there's a school-wide dance going on!
*side note: Nuevo Sol is their currency here! 3 soles=1 dollar. (a.k.a. I bet you'll owe me $3)
Monday, December 6, 2010
Week 1 of Nasca-ness
So after 10 weeks of intense training and Peruvian adventures, I finally got sworn-in as una voluntaria del Cuerpo de Paz. A big moment for sure, as on the horizon all we can see is the mysterious unknown. No more classes, no more instructors, no more speaking English, no more friends close at hand, no more pre-made schedules. We were then at that moment left to our own devices for the next few years. We are essentially dropped off at site and are left to our own devices to not only survive, but to inspire positive change and health within the community. Honestly, what I have been going through here at site for this first week of service has been so intense and different, no amount of training could have ever prepared me for what I was about to jump into. It was as if I jumped into the middle of the ocean accompanied with only a fun-noodle and was expected to survive. Well, fortunately for me-- I love to swim.
Nasca, Peru. The home to many world-famous sites including the Nasca Lines, El Cerro Blanco (the biggest sand dune in South America), Los Aqueductos (aqueducts created by pre-Incan civilizations- some that still function), various cemeteries with mummified bodies, and now ME!
I thought that by living in Peru for 11 weeks already that I would be accustomed to the culture here... well was I wrong! Moving here I have encountered an entire new life. There are a lot of changes I have been experiencing. I will share a few with you...
-I began a new diet. It's called "the runs". I don't even have to do anything, just sit on the toilet and boombam all the food I ate has magically gone through me! It's not on the market yet but if you'd like to begin this diet I'll let you try some of the water here and you'll be on "the runs" in no time!
-I have also changed perfumes. Instead of dousing myself religiously with bug repellent, I now spend a good portion of the morning applying the Peace Corps provided sunblock all over. The reason? Well, let's just say I completely understand where the saying "it's hot as hell" comes from. I'm in the desert!
-The parties I have been experiencing here are surely like no other. For example, the other day I went to a party for a 97 year old woman complete with her being spoon-fed papaya by her daughter, a table full of still living friends and family (that had to yell at each other so the other person could hear), tea cups, and me........ HAHAHA! A little different than the typical college party I guess. I'll find some friends here soon I'm sure...
-Also, I got a name change. I am "Catalina" here. It's much easier than the awkward language sessions I could continuously have with how to pronounce my actual name... every single time I met someone. Si entonces for simplicity's sake: Catalina.
-I've been getting a lot of action here in the kissing department. Every single time there is a greeting or departure... there is kissing. So essentially the barriers are automatically broken down at an initial meeting because, well, you just kissed them! Quite an ice-breaker I'd say.
-I have a new nightly fashion. Compliments of UGA Student Learning Center (it's always going to be the SLC for me... givin' a holler out there to my dawgs!) these green ear plugs have gotten me far. They allow me to fall asleep despite the nightly war of dogs outside my window and they allow me to sleep past 4am because of the rooster concerts that go on every single morning outside my window. Thanks SLC!
-The other day I turned on the TV and there was my face. The truth is that not a lot goes on here thats exciting so when something happens (it could be anything!) their going to talk about it. just so happens that I am that "something" right now.
-I've picked up a new hobby! Making speeches. hahaha. Essentially I meet new people every single day and they are all curious about what I am doing here and who I am so I give them my speech. I must say, after the 100th one I think I've been able to do it backwards in my sleep!
-And this is always the question that follows it: "Are you single?" ...And then I say "yes" and then they say that I will definitely end up staying here longer than 2 years because I'm going to meet un Peruano. (this exact convo happens like 5 times a day) At first I felt uncomfortable when people always asked me that because in the States we don't commonly speak about relationships until a little later in conversations. However, I have grown to understand that Peruvians love their relationship drama and that their women have babies so I have now just grown to expect this convo.
-I got my desk space in the Municipality. Never had an "office" before! Right next to a window so thats nice too.
-My typical emotion here is a mix of confused/lost/uncomfortable... but you learn how to accept that and move on. A sense of humor is essential for this job. It's a whole new culture and a whole new place that I do not know... I am positive I unknowingly do probably 20 things per day that is not typical of this culture- but that is just how it is. In time I will understand more. But for now, laughing at my blunders is the only way to stay sane.
There is so much more to say about my job here, about the culture, and various thoughts. Every day is a new battle and a new adventure. This is just the beginning. Stay tuned!
Nasca, Peru. The home to many world-famous sites including the Nasca Lines, El Cerro Blanco (the biggest sand dune in South America), Los Aqueductos (aqueducts created by pre-Incan civilizations- some that still function), various cemeteries with mummified bodies, and now ME!
I thought that by living in Peru for 11 weeks already that I would be accustomed to the culture here... well was I wrong! Moving here I have encountered an entire new life. There are a lot of changes I have been experiencing. I will share a few with you...
-I began a new diet. It's called "the runs". I don't even have to do anything, just sit on the toilet and boombam all the food I ate has magically gone through me! It's not on the market yet but if you'd like to begin this diet I'll let you try some of the water here and you'll be on "the runs" in no time!
-I have also changed perfumes. Instead of dousing myself religiously with bug repellent, I now spend a good portion of the morning applying the Peace Corps provided sunblock all over. The reason? Well, let's just say I completely understand where the saying "it's hot as hell" comes from. I'm in the desert!
-The parties I have been experiencing here are surely like no other. For example, the other day I went to a party for a 97 year old woman complete with her being spoon-fed papaya by her daughter, a table full of still living friends and family (that had to yell at each other so the other person could hear), tea cups, and me........ HAHAHA! A little different than the typical college party I guess. I'll find some friends here soon I'm sure...
-Also, I got a name change. I am "Catalina" here. It's much easier than the awkward language sessions I could continuously have with how to pronounce my actual name... every single time I met someone. Si entonces for simplicity's sake: Catalina.
-I've been getting a lot of action here in the kissing department. Every single time there is a greeting or departure... there is kissing. So essentially the barriers are automatically broken down at an initial meeting because, well, you just kissed them! Quite an ice-breaker I'd say.
-I have a new nightly fashion. Compliments of UGA Student Learning Center (it's always going to be the SLC for me... givin' a holler out there to my dawgs!) these green ear plugs have gotten me far. They allow me to fall asleep despite the nightly war of dogs outside my window and they allow me to sleep past 4am because of the rooster concerts that go on every single morning outside my window. Thanks SLC!
-The other day I turned on the TV and there was my face. The truth is that not a lot goes on here thats exciting so when something happens (it could be anything!) their going to talk about it. just so happens that I am that "something" right now.
-I've picked up a new hobby! Making speeches. hahaha. Essentially I meet new people every single day and they are all curious about what I am doing here and who I am so I give them my speech. I must say, after the 100th one I think I've been able to do it backwards in my sleep!
-And this is always the question that follows it: "Are you single?" ...And then I say "yes" and then they say that I will definitely end up staying here longer than 2 years because I'm going to meet un Peruano. (this exact convo happens like 5 times a day) At first I felt uncomfortable when people always asked me that because in the States we don't commonly speak about relationships until a little later in conversations. However, I have grown to understand that Peruvians love their relationship drama and that their women have babies so I have now just grown to expect this convo.
-I got my desk space in the Municipality. Never had an "office" before! Right next to a window so thats nice too.
-My typical emotion here is a mix of confused/lost/uncomfortable... but you learn how to accept that and move on. A sense of humor is essential for this job. It's a whole new culture and a whole new place that I do not know... I am positive I unknowingly do probably 20 things per day that is not typical of this culture- but that is just how it is. In time I will understand more. But for now, laughing at my blunders is the only way to stay sane.
There is so much more to say about my job here, about the culture, and various thoughts. Every day is a new battle and a new adventure. This is just the beginning. Stay tuned!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The gringa is here!
Finally, after 7 weeks of training, we were set loose upon our sites. (We were all given three to four days to explore our future sites, meet our new host families, and get acquainted with the town before we completed our last two weeks of training.) Each volunteer is given a different pueblo or town throughout Peru (mostly in districts along the Western coast). My site is Nazca. Yes, as in the Nazca Lines! I live about 10 minutes from them, and with the tour planes flying overhead every day. Nazca is also the site of many pre-Incan archeological sites... which I love. Also home of the Cerro Blanco, which is the biggest sand dune in all of South America. Oh yeah, sand dune- did I mention that Nazca is in the center of the desert..? Yeah. Summer temps averaging over 100 deg F. A lil toasty. BUT- that makes for perfect climate for some awesome foods. Mangos, grapes (therefore wine and Pisco), oranges, pecans, corn, papas to name a few. I am the very first volunteer to this site, so everything is new and ground-breaking... just how I like it.
Most volunteers are placed in a pueblo or city ranging from around 300-3,000 people. I, on the other hand, for some reason or another have been assigned a city with 30,000 people (and covering a district with about 70,000 people). Big task. So where do I begin? Well, first thing is to meet as many of the community leaders as possible to get the word out there of who I am and what I'm doing. I want as many big guns on my side as possible (but not real guns! we're PEACE corps. wink) So my socio comunitario (the person I will be working with a lot on my various projects) Flor made sure I not waste time and set up appointments for me right away. After my morning bucket bath and my 3-day old crunchy bread, Flor came to come pick me up. We visited the school of which she is the director. I oh-so-naively thought that I was just going there to see where she works. Little did I know, I was soon greeting teacher after teacher in the office, explaining to them all what I would be doing in their town for 2 years and answering every question under the sun. Furthermore, Flor soon began taking me to every single classroom where I had to stand in front of the classes and introduce myself to all of the students. Four hundred and fifty of them. With my broken-Spanish and no preparation, mind you. Being an RA in college led me to feel pretty comfortable to speaking in front of crowds, but nothing could have prepared me for something like that! Well, I somehow got through it and felt so good that I had accomplished it. So, what was next? Flor said she was going to take me to the Municipality. Alright, I said, I can handle that meeting a few workers in there.
After meeting the Director of the Municipality and several other key figures, I found myself sitting really close face to face, knees touching with some man. I just kind of took it as normal because here there's often not much “personal space boundaries”... that is until he whipped out two voice recorders. Turned out he was wanting to interview me for the radio show. Right there on the spot! I only had time to internally freak out, come to acceptance of this, and recollect myself all in a matter of 20 seconds before he began recording. I used every single ounce of my power to compose myself at that moment. Adrenaline rushing to the max, still to this moment I don't remember a single thing that he asked me, or what I said. All I know was that I could feel the beads of sweat on my face from nervousness and that I had never spoken better Spanish than at that moment in my entire life. It's amazing what a little pressure can do. Okay, so I somehow get through 10 minutes of that and afterwards I feel like a champ. Like I had just beat a long-time opponent in a well-fought soccer match. Grateful that I did not faint afterwards, I cheerfully asked Flor what was next, assuming that nothing could come close to being more difficult than that.
“Vamos a conocer el elcalde.” “El alcalde?!?!” We were on our way to meet the mayor of the city. By this time a few other leaders in the community had joined us on the mission to speak with the mayor. We had to get as much Umph as we could to get the mayor on our side to agree and succeed with accepting me into the community. This was a big deal. This is the man of the city. For quick example, there were two guards outside the restaurant we were in making sure that the crowd of people outside didn't come in and disturb us. Yeah. So after 20 minutes of the leaders and I speaking of my job as a member of Cuerpo de Paz, he finally accepted my presence there and even offered me an office in the Municipality building! Wow, success. At that moment I felt as if anything else I did from then on would be a piece of cake. That was yet another huge moment in my acceptance into the community and I somehow swung through it with success... nothing could possibly be harder. But sister, was I wrong.
The most intense part of this day didn't happen until the 7:00pm that night... on the Karibena news. That's right, the news. They wanted to interview me live on their district news channel 15. I seriously thought they were kidding at first when they told me this. Not until I got to the news station and saw the machines, cameras, and setup did I really believe what I was doing. I sweated buckets, made mistakes and was looking into the wrong camera half the time, but in the end it all worked out really well. By 8pm that night, (the first day of me being there in their town) the entire town knew me.
After all was said and done that day, I fell onto my bed with the biggest smile on my face. If I could get through that day, one of the most challenging days of my life, I could get through anything. And that is where I stand.
Most volunteers are placed in a pueblo or city ranging from around 300-3,000 people. I, on the other hand, for some reason or another have been assigned a city with 30,000 people (and covering a district with about 70,000 people). Big task. So where do I begin? Well, first thing is to meet as many of the community leaders as possible to get the word out there of who I am and what I'm doing. I want as many big guns on my side as possible (but not real guns! we're PEACE corps. wink) So my socio comunitario (the person I will be working with a lot on my various projects) Flor made sure I not waste time and set up appointments for me right away. After my morning bucket bath and my 3-day old crunchy bread, Flor came to come pick me up. We visited the school of which she is the director. I oh-so-naively thought that I was just going there to see where she works. Little did I know, I was soon greeting teacher after teacher in the office, explaining to them all what I would be doing in their town for 2 years and answering every question under the sun. Furthermore, Flor soon began taking me to every single classroom where I had to stand in front of the classes and introduce myself to all of the students. Four hundred and fifty of them. With my broken-Spanish and no preparation, mind you. Being an RA in college led me to feel pretty comfortable to speaking in front of crowds, but nothing could have prepared me for something like that! Well, I somehow got through it and felt so good that I had accomplished it. So, what was next? Flor said she was going to take me to the Municipality. Alright, I said, I can handle that meeting a few workers in there.
After meeting the Director of the Municipality and several other key figures, I found myself sitting really close face to face, knees touching with some man. I just kind of took it as normal because here there's often not much “personal space boundaries”... that is until he whipped out two voice recorders. Turned out he was wanting to interview me for the radio show. Right there on the spot! I only had time to internally freak out, come to acceptance of this, and recollect myself all in a matter of 20 seconds before he began recording. I used every single ounce of my power to compose myself at that moment. Adrenaline rushing to the max, still to this moment I don't remember a single thing that he asked me, or what I said. All I know was that I could feel the beads of sweat on my face from nervousness and that I had never spoken better Spanish than at that moment in my entire life. It's amazing what a little pressure can do. Okay, so I somehow get through 10 minutes of that and afterwards I feel like a champ. Like I had just beat a long-time opponent in a well-fought soccer match. Grateful that I did not faint afterwards, I cheerfully asked Flor what was next, assuming that nothing could come close to being more difficult than that.
“Vamos a conocer el elcalde.” “El alcalde?!?!” We were on our way to meet the mayor of the city. By this time a few other leaders in the community had joined us on the mission to speak with the mayor. We had to get as much Umph as we could to get the mayor on our side to agree and succeed with accepting me into the community. This was a big deal. This is the man of the city. For quick example, there were two guards outside the restaurant we were in making sure that the crowd of people outside didn't come in and disturb us. Yeah. So after 20 minutes of the leaders and I speaking of my job as a member of Cuerpo de Paz, he finally accepted my presence there and even offered me an office in the Municipality building! Wow, success. At that moment I felt as if anything else I did from then on would be a piece of cake. That was yet another huge moment in my acceptance into the community and I somehow swung through it with success... nothing could possibly be harder. But sister, was I wrong.
The most intense part of this day didn't happen until the 7:00pm that night... on the Karibena news. That's right, the news. They wanted to interview me live on their district news channel 15. I seriously thought they were kidding at first when they told me this. Not until I got to the news station and saw the machines, cameras, and setup did I really believe what I was doing. I sweated buckets, made mistakes and was looking into the wrong camera half the time, but in the end it all worked out really well. By 8pm that night, (the first day of me being there in their town) the entire town knew me.
After all was said and done that day, I fell onto my bed with the biggest smile on my face. If I could get through that day, one of the most challenging days of my life, I could get through anything. And that is where I stand.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)