I have a lot of time on my hands during the day. Yes, I spend my time teaching English classes, conocering Tamarindo and hanging out with Juana... but I didn't realize how many hours were in a day until I joined the Peace Corps. There are a lot of hours. So, with my idle time... when I'm not watching Dawson's Creek... I read on my Kindle (Thanks DAD for this purchase. It may have been the most important and useful device I brought to Perú). Now, for those of you who know me, know I'm like a cat lady when it comes to books. I enjoy reading and when I find a book I really love... I can't put it down. I recently read a book that made my jaw drop 2 pages in... I felt like it was written just for me. And the book is....
The Alchemist. Thank you, Paulo Coelho for delivering a masterpiece. The novel tells the tale of Santiago, a boy who has a
dream and the courage to follow it. As most of you know, Peace Corps has been a dream of mine since high school. However, there were many moments during the process of applying for the Peace Corps that I wavered back and forth. Maybe I should take a job in the States and get my career started? I'd be leaving behind family and friends for a long time. Maybe this isn't the best decision for my future? I was filled with the typical "maybe's" and "what if's".
But, obviously, I made the choice to join Peace Corps and there are days that I doubt the decision I made. More often than I like to admit, BUT, then there are days that I realize... I'm exactly where I need to be, doing exactly what I want to be doing and I can say that after only 4 months in country. I can only imagine what I'll be saying when I "Close of Service". Anyways back to the book. One thing that really struck a chord with me (and I won't go into TOO much detail for those of you who want to actually read it)... was when Santiago was faced with leaving his loved ones and facing the fear of the unknown to go after his dream.
"...
the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no
heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because
every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with
eternity." The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. There were fears before I left for the Peace Corps... but I always believed and now more than ever... that not attempting would have been a worse type of suffering. A very close friend of mine in Peru 17 just said to me today "We have the GREATEST job. Most people are lying on their death beds saying 'I should have done this...' and we are doing it. We won't be saying that on our death bed." He was so right.
Accomplishing a dream means that on the path you will suffer. People won't show up to meetings. There are days I'm going to miss home more than anything. Water won't show up when I need it the most. I'll get sick, a lot (parasites included). And I might not want to eat one more bowl of Juana's rice... but after these two years I know that I will have accomplished a dream that I've had for a very long time (and hopefully change some lives). Any suffering I experience along the way will be worth it and I'm glad I didn't let the fear of that suffering stop me from pursuing my dream.
The Alchemist was an amazing book and I encourage everyone to get a copy of it and read it. I promise you it will be worth it. Also, I wanted to send a little shout out to my people back at Penn State. GOOD LUCK canning this weekend! FTK, always! I'll be keeping little man, Tyler, Truex (PGM's THON CHILD) , in my thoughts and prayers.
Tyler Truex and I, THON 2010
and for those of you who don't know about THON and it's amazingness... please go to www.thon.org to DONATE! It's for a great cause.
". . . when each day is the same as the next, it’s because people
fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day
the sun rises. " - The Alchemist
Well, guess what folks... I have a new charger and that means I can
use my own computer in the municpality... which means you guys now get
new pictures! I have some news before I get into introducing my amazing
new host family. First of all, today, I just finished my second round
of English classes. They went SO MUCH SMOOTHER this time because for
some reason the littler kids decided to take some chill pills and
listen to "Miss Ana". We did colors today and I had a few dinamicas
under my belt. All in all... I'm happy... a little upset that I don't
actually teach alongside an English teacher and I'm basically alone in
the classroom for 3 hours, but poco a poco.
I also
taught them how to say THANK YOU AND YOUR WELCOME. For some reason
these words aren't even spoken in Spanish by these little kids. So I
decided to do a side tiny mini charla about the importance of manners.
We'll see how much of it sunk in.
Now it's time to
talk about the women, the myth, the legend.... Big Mama J, also known
as Juana, also known as my host mother. Here is a photo of her with her
Cusquena Negra that only women who are "mas fuerte" drink. Juana, you
go on with your strong self.
Just hanging on the front porch for the evening.
So, I decided to take a nap after along day with Pierina and eating a mountain full of rice with my host mother. When I woke up from the nap Juana was in the middle of Sandy Tammy's dirt street buying a HUGE table with Rosa. I needed a table for my room and decided to see if I could find a smaller one. I asked the man how much for the table and he said 30 soles. Juana was not having any of that. She said the table is worth no more than 25 soles and haggled the man down. I bought the table and Juana helped me carry it in. Then, I see her and Rosa moving the HUGE table into my room with smiles on their face. Where are you goin' with that table Juana?! Oh, you bought it for me? Then why did you just haggle down a price for the table I just bought and let me buy it? "Tu eres loca, Ana. Yo compré la mesa para tí" ( You are crazy, Ana. I bought the table for you). Well why didn't you tell me Juana? So, being the gracious daughter that I am, I told her she could have the table I bought. Her response, classica Juana, "No, la mesa is bien fea! No me gusta, Ana." ( No, the table is really ugly. I don't like it, Ana). Well, sorry there Juana, but thank you for the table. It also worked out that the huge table she bought was better for my room. So, I now have two tables in my room. But like any mother, when I thought the whole subject was dropped... in the middle of dinner Juana mumbles at me "You know Ana, I told you I was buying that table. You just don't understand anything I say." So, she's probably right, I waved the white flag.... and continued eating the rest of my mountain of rice.
Yes, I sleep under a mosquito net.
For a WHOLE week Juana had been talking about how she wanted to go
Patia (a port town about 30 minutes for me) for the procession of the
Virgen Mercedes. It's a big procession of the Blessed Mother and a mass
at the end. She was all sad because no one wanted to go with her so I
told her I'd love to go. We were set to leave at 5am on Saturday, the
next day she said we were leaving at 7am, needless to say we left at
9am with the entire family because Juana has a way with guilt tripping
everyone. So me, my host sister Mercy, her two kids, my host sister
Rosa, her son Nader, and my host brother Juan were off to Patia. It was
a scorching day but pretty interesting. People with disabilties were
crawling on their hands and knees on the concrete to the statue of the
Virgen Mercedes.
After, Juana was starving and in a
cranky mood (this is why we get along. like mother like daughter). So
she made all of us, including the really tired babies, walk up and down
the beach for something. She was looking with disgust at all the
different resturaunts saying "bien fea, bien fea" "tu quieres Ana?". I
don't know Juana, I'm not hungry, you pick where to eat. Even Rosa was
getting fed up (the more upfront sister) and said "Mom, you are the
hungry one. Pick the resturant so we can eat and leave." Guess what?
Only Juana ate. She did, however, make me eat a PIECE of the carne she
was eating because "Ana is too skinny and never eats". NOT TRUE Juana,
what do you call those mountains of rice you serve me twice a day?!
Love you Juana, but I can't afford to buy new jeans because I'm fat.
We
spent the rest of the day boppin' around Patia because Juana wanted to
buy different things. At the end of the day she bought me and the rest
of the family icecream for being good sports. Juana, you are slowly but
surely becoming my favorite person in Perú. So here are some pictures
of the host family from the birthday parties of both Mercy and Rosa.
(Oh I currently just learned how to handwash my clothes with Mercy.
Juana made me learn wtih Mercy because she has the most patience for
"slower people". THANKS JUANA. It was a lot of fun and I introduced
Mercy to Lady Gaga. She loved it)
So, folks, you are lucky... here is what you've been waiting for. Pictures. MOM, I hope you're happy.
The family, minus two host brothers, for Mercy's birthday lunch.
Mercy's babies and my host niece and nephew.
The view from my porch in the afternoon.
What I see every morning. Mercy and her baby.
Mini Story: Juana's husband (who died years ago) started this garden and when he used to come home from working in the farm he'd always cut a flower and put it in her hair while she was making dinner. Juana had a man of gold.
The washing area of my house. Bathroom, shower, clothes washing.
The church and obviously a moto taxi in Tamarindo.
One of the schools in Tamarindo.
Home of my mayor, the Municipality.
My host brother and socio with his nephews.
Juana and her grandsons :)
Pops and Son
Juana and I. Best friends.
Mercy and her baby.
The goats in the backyard.
The kids in segundaria school.
for more pictures form sandy tammy please go to this link
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2239853719102.2118712.1330800173
Well, that's all I have for now. Piura is getting hot as summer starts to approach. The water situation is a little iffy these days... today I'm currently 4 days without water. Thankfully I have a regional capital meeting this weekend and I'll not only get a shower, but a HOT one! BIG THANKS to Jack Davis and Amanda Cuppi for my care packages. You guys make me smile all the way over here in Perú. LOVE YOU!
“It
is in all of us to defy expectations, to go into the world and to be
brave. to want, to need, to hunger for adventures. to embrace change
and chance and risk so that we may breathe and know what it is to be
free.”
-Mae Chevrette
I have offically fallen in love with my host family. It took a little awhile because I had the most AMAZING host family in Lima. Photos of the family in Lima below :)
Grams, Carmen, Sleepy Bryanna and I after swearing in!
Sisters
Me, Carmen and Lucas. Her gringo children.
Tough girl Bryanna
Lucas and Bryanna.
I actually talked to my host family in Lima yesterday afternoon. Peru 18 has arrived in Peru! They got their host families yesterday and around 2pm I got a phone call from Melissa. I got to talk to the new volunteer that is staying with them. They have a boy this time around which is probably a good thing considering my host mom is going to be having a new baby girl in OCTOBER! The house is going to be FILLED with women! I let him know that he got extermely lucky with this host family and that I´m very celosa that he gets to spend the next 3 moths with them. HOWEVER, back here in Tamarindo. I have offically fallen in love with my fam!
Here a few pictures... I have more... but until I get a new charger I can´t do anything with them. I will upload them as soon as I have chance. These are pictures of SOME of my host faily (I have a HUGE family...they don´t all live wtih me.. but I have 3 host sisters and 3 host brothers ranging from the ages of 25 to 39...and some of them have babies). I live with 2 of my host brothers, one of which is my socio, and my host mom. Here are some pictures of my two host sisters (Rosa and Mercy) and their kids.
Mercy and her baby girl.
Mercy, her two babies and pregnant ROSA!
Mercy´s son
Mercy´s daughter
Rosa and her son Nader
I have some great pictures of my family from Rosa´s birthday a few weeks ago and as soon as I can turn my computer on I will share them with all of you.
So, my host mom is HYSTERICAL. The other night the power went out in Tamarindo for a few hours and my host mom, my host brother and I had dinner by candlelight. My host mom kept saying how romantic our dinner was and later taught me a pretty funny song in Spanish. It was really awesome sitting there realizing I was in the middle of nowhere Peru, eating a HUGE plate of rice and chicken (what else would I be eating, obviously), by candlelight because the power was off (which happens every so often here in Tamarindo). Little by little my host siblings began trickling into the house to chat. I´m super happy to have older host siblings, and I´m also happy some of them have kids. I get the perfect balance of adults and children coming in and out of the house.
Other news to announce.... I have a parasite... but nothing some medicine can´t cure! My stomache has been a little off lately and I finally gave in a called my PCMO´s . Hopefully I start to feel a little better. Also, the heat is starting get worse here in Tamarindo and I can´t imagine what it´s going to be like in December.
Also, thanks mom and dad for the french press and DUNKIN DONUTS COFFEE. I´ve been sharing it with my host family & they love it. Every morning I sit down with my host sister Mercy and have a cup of coffee. The caffeine kick is incredible. I forgot how much I miss coffee in America.
And because I´m on a Dawson´s Creek kick (Thanks to Kelsey Goering, the best site neighbor ever that bought all the seasons and passed them off to me)... I´m going to leave you with a quote from the best television series that ever graced the airwaves. Don´t you miss the Joey, Pacey, Dawson love triangle????
¨So the only thing iIcould think of that unites us all, that we all have in common, is that we start out in kindergarten thinking we can be anything we want to be, and by the time we get here, we've all lost that feeling. We've all started to believe whatever our friends or our parents have told us about what we can achieve in life, and who we can be, and we've forgotten about the possibility we had when we were younger, thats the one thing we all have in common. So that´s the symbol on this mural means, possibility, I painted it because i thought we could all use a little daily reminder of the fact that if you believe in yourself, even when the odds seem stacked against you, anything is possible.¨
This blog is a little bit more on a serious note, but I promised those back home that I would let them know what goes on in my everyday life, and sometimes its not all sunshine and roses.
I was going into town the other day for some everyday needs and had planned on making cookies for my host family... on the way back into town my car was stuck in traffic. I was staring at the window at the other side of the road where the cars were moving... pretty quickly... like they always do in Peru. That´s when I saw a man, no older than 30 years old, start to cross the road without looking. I had that feeling like I wanted to scream but I was frozen. I watched the man get hit by the car. Peruvians began screaming and running out of their houses... but by that time it was too late. The man, passed away, right in front of me... on the side of the road. I was in shock. The body was put into a car and driven to the closest hospital. I don´t think my mind registered what had just happened, but my stomache felt sick. I said a little prayer for the man, and my car contuined moving back to Tamarindo.
This brought me back to reality really quickly. Life is short.
I´ve been reading the book (one thing I love about Peace Corps... I finally have the time to read), The Happiness Project, about a woman who spent a year trying to find more ways to make her life happier and during the year she realizes certain things that she names ¨Splendid Truths¨. One of her splendid truths, that resonated with me, ïs ¨the days are long, but the years are short¨.
This is something that can apply to my time in the Peace Corps and my life. There are days in Peace Corps, especially when the sun is at full blaze, that it feels like they are dragging along... but as I reflect on my 3 months in Peru... I can´t believe how quickly the time has gone. The days seem long, but the years are short. The same thing applies to my life. I could not be more grateful to be able to live a dream I´ve had since high school. Not everyone gets as lucky. I have an unbelievable support system back home that has allowed me to do amazing things. Diane Ackerman once said (kudos to Claire Austin for this) ¨I do not want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.¨
The days are long, but the years are short. Because of this, I truly believe its important to live fully, passionately, and to remember to be thankful for everything you recieve.
On a more lighter and MUCH happier note... I finished my first round of English classes this week. This is not something I plan on doing REGULARLY for the next 2 years here... but it is a good way to get to know the kids I will be working with and their parents very much appreciate the time I´m taking to teach them. It´s a good way to tener confianza (for those of you who don´t know what this means... LOOK IT UP!) I taught for 3 hours on Wednesday and I´ve already noticed that the younger kids are going to take some work, but I enjoyed teaching and will be doing this once a week in the Primaria.
That same night I went to a charla my socia, Pierina ( who just turned 22 and is a child psychologist), was doing on the importance of family. I was completely BLOWN away. Her presence and ability to have the parents of the families interact with her was surreal to watch. I knew right away that she would be my link to sustainability. She not only is ALWAYS punctual, but she is able to conjure participation with the youth and parents in Tamarindo. I went to bed that night so excited to get projects started.
My socia, Pierina, and I during site visits.
Things are really looking up over here in Peru, but I really do miss everyone so much. Start sending emails and snail mail! I enjoy all of them!
Special thanks to AJ Hall, Jack Davis, Ronni Bruno, Amanda Cuppi, Casey Jane and of course MOM AND DAD for the care packages and computer charger that are on their way. You guys make being away from home easier every single day.
If there was something else that struck me this week it´s that I´m unbelievably lucky for everyone that I have in my life & I don´t know where I´d be without you all. Your support has never gone unnoticed.
“I know now that true charity consists in bearing all our neighbors'defects--not being surprised at their weakness, but edified at their smallest virtues.” - St. Thérèse de Lisieux
The first three months at site are to be spent doing a community diagnostic. This is basically getting to know what your community wants and what it needs. I need to do interviews, surveys and research. However, to keep myself busy I wanted to start teaching English. The director in La Libertad has given me 3 classes to teach on Wednesdays... as well as teaching 2 TUTORIA class on Friday. Tutoria is basically like healthy lifestyle, self asteem and other subjects. I also got to talking to him about the summer vacation, which starts for Peru in January, and he was really excited to help me run a camp. I will be teaching English, computer classes (for the kids and their parents) and doing charlas (lessons) alongside the women in my health post during the week.
Later that day I went to buy myself a new dresser and some rugs for my room. I also got to eat some amazing POLLO A LA BRASA. I came home and finally organized my room and put all my pictures up. So to all my friends I love and cherish... your faces are looked at on a daily basis! I miss all of you so much! Please start emailing me about your lives. I like to hear myself talk... you know this... but I also like to know what´s going on in everyone´s lives. You can also send me snail mail. The address can be found on the side of this page. I hang up all my letters and cards on my wall as well. Currently I have letters from my parents, Abby, Eldad, AJ and Claire. You guys rock :)
This won´t be a long post becuase once again I´m in my muncipality and I hate the keyboards here. The charger on my computer is broken and one is being sent. I should have it within the week, but until then there will be no pictures to upload right now. Other great news is that my wireless internet USB is also in the mail. So as soon as my life is all back together I´ll be able to add pictures and skype everyone from my little room in Tamarindo. Yay!
After returning home from my regional capital meeting in Piura City... I came back to a full house and I really wasn´t sure why. This didn´t worry me though because I spend more than half of my time in Peru completely confused. My host mom let me know it was my host sisters birthday (who is pregnant.. possibly with twins). We had a huge lunch with the family and then spent the rest of the day out on the front porch talking. I decided to go show face at the municipality to talk to my socios and on the way there I noticed all of Tamarindo was outside of their houses. Again, confused. I found one of my youth group kids and asked what was going on. She stated, like it was completely normal, someone blew up in the campo and now they are having the procession. My jaw dropped. First, I thought I had translated that completely wrong... so I made her repeat. A woman, who lived in Tamarindo, was working in the kitchen of another campo and blew herself and the house up while using a gas tank to cook. The casket was being processed by me as all of this was being explained. Just another normal day in Tamarindo.
The next day I had meetings with all the directors of the schools in my town. I have one segundaria which is kind of like a high school and 2 primarias which are kind of like middle schools. The director of the segundaria is letting me observe an English class tomorrow and then start teaching English in the mornings on Mondays there. I was really excited to hear this. THEN, I went to the primaria in La Libertad (an annex of Tamarindo) and the director could not have been more excited to work with.
Today. I judged a beauty pageant in the town over from Tamarindo. I was not sure why I was going to the health post for another town´s anniversary but the ladies in my health post rushed me away. I sat around waiting for an hour. My life these days are made up of confusion and waiting. Then I was told I was going to be a judge for the health posts beauty pageant. It was interesting to say the least. I got my own judges table, chair and complementary water and empanada. I wish it was video taped... I spent 3 hours in the scorching sun laughing at my life.
So my life has improved dramatically since last week and I´m really growing to love this little sandy pueblo more and more everyday. There may not be water every day... or every 4 days. There may be flies completely covering my kitchen table where I eat. The farm animals and cats that run across my roof may keep me up all night. I may have no idea whats going on 90 percent of the time. And I may feel like I spend most of my time here waiting for things to start, and I may sometimes feel like all I want to do is go home... but deep down I remember why I chose to do this and poco a poco... Peru will become home.
¨Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.¨ - Ella Fitzgerald
My relationship with cumbia music started out extremely rocky. I blame it on the fact that the first time I was in Tamarindo there was a fiesta... and I went to sleep unpleasantly to cumbia music that felt like it was blowing up my bedroom. The cumbia music didn't stop until 5am... because thats obviously when town parties are suppose to end. Normal, completely normal.
But the cumbia music doesn't stop there. It plays in the back of mototaxis, in the tiendas, in my living room on a decibal not meant for human ears, and I wouldn't doubt if it's playing in the chakras. I can see my host mom breaking it down in the rice fields right now.
For those of you who don't know what a moto is... here is a picture.
Completely normal mode of transportation here in Peru, especially in Piura. They are basically extremely unsafe and they make my feet feel weird when I ride them, and I prefer to take a taxi... but sometimes the only option you have is a moto.
Anyways, back to the real subject of this blog. Cumbia music is an extreme favorite at bailes and what do you know... Tamarindo had its very own baile last week for its' anniversary. Along with being so confused about what was going on all week... I was comforted as soon as the speakers were set up in the plaza de armas and the earthquake began. By earthquake I mean the cumbia music that was blasting so loud the buildings were shaking. I danced the night away with some people from the muncipality and health post, and found myself humming cumbia on the way back to my house (that is better known as a farm).
I'm now humming cumbia music. What is my life coming to? I'm also putting mayo on my rice to spice things up a little bit. Peruvians LOVE their mayo here about as much, maybe even more, than they love their cumbia music.
Now I know what you guys are dying for... some CUMBIA MUSIC. So- here you go. Hope you are all humming it and adding mayo to your rice after listening to this.
Now, my mom has been yelping about how she wants me to update more pictures. I PROMISE I will get to that this week. I know you guys can't wait to see my little, tiny, sandy pueblo of Tamarindo!
We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment. ~Hilaire Belloc
