a PEACE of my mind: Día a Día

I realized that I haven’t really given you guys an idea of what my day to day life is in Vice because of my site change. I have been busy running around. So here is a little look at what my day is like.

8:00am: Wake up time. I don’t even need an alarm because I just so happen to be right across the street from the blaring loud speaker that screams the daily announcements to the town. I used to curse that thing, but now I find myself listening, eyes closed, to the announcements. Sometimes there is useful information on that thing!

(Conversation that happened with Lucas last week)

Lucas: Brielle, what did you do this morning?

Me: Well, my class was canceled.

Lucas: Why?

Me: There is no school today because of the Anniversary.

Lucas: How did you find that out?

Me: The loudspeaker screamed NO HAY CLASES!
Lucas: Guess that thing really is used for news.

If the loudspeaker isn’t waking me up my host mom yelling for my host brother does. It’s not a complete day without Rosa screaming “DIKKKSSSSOONNNNN”.

This is where I get really lucky. I have my own bathroom so I don’t have to worry about scurrying around the house in the morning and having people see me disheveled. I wake up and hop into my pleasantly cold shower. I love cold showers. You must be shocked. Why? Because I live in Piura-where the winters are hot (85 degrees) and the summers are HOTTER (lows of 90).

On a normal day, after my hower, I head downstairs to the restaurant and enjoy some Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla Coffee (I’m running a little low). If I’m feeling generous I call Jessica (my sitemate) to come drink it with me. I spend the time chatting with my host mother , who is preparing the restaurant for the day or catching up on the news.

Most of the activities I’m doing in the school happen before lunchtime (2pm). I currently have classes of Pasos Adelante going on and am trying to get tutoria (time when the kids basically sit around and do nothing) to start a creative writing class. I also decided for my own personal happiness I’m going to start going over to the Inicial (pre school nuggets) to read to them. Working with the pre-school kids is nowhere near Youth Development’s “target age”, but they are too cute to ignore and I’ve got the time to do it. **

Around 2 p.m. I head over to the restaurant for lunch. The other day I was pleasantly surprised with something called Chupe. Chupe is a generic term used in South America to a variety of stew generally made with chicken, red meat, lamb or beef tripe and other offal, or with fish, shrimp, crayfish or shellfish such as loco, and vegetables, potatoes or yuca. My host mom is a phenomal cook and this chupe with shrimp, crayfish and full CRABS. It was delicious. I usually eat lunch with whoever is at the restaurant. I’m related to half of Vice so most of the time I’m eating with some tio or tia. Recently, the soccer team has moved back into town, and they are staying at the hospedaje (hostel) across from my house. They eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in my restaurant so there is never really a quiet moment during meals. It’s just the town gringa and the soccer team compartiring comida.

This is where my day varies. After lunch, people like to siesta (nap) and because I’m basically Peruvian… I nap as well. After a little snooze I usually go to the municipality to talk to my socia, Lorena, about anything that might be going on in Vice I should know about. Lorena, has become more like one of my best friends in this town. I can always count on her for a good laugh, and thankfully she is well connected and respected in the community. I always seem to hit the host family and counterpart lottery.

I’ve recently been in the muni hussling people for materials for my WORLD MAP. This world map project will continue to haunt me for the rest of my service. This is what happened in my recent attempt to get materials for the map from the municipality. I wrote a long, drawn out solicitude (document asking for materials, what I was doing, pictures, etc) with my signature and stamp on it. I turned the document in and went in the next week to see if I had an answer. No answer. The lady in charge of making the decision was in Lima for God knows how long. I went back a few weeks later and received a paper saying “The map is a great idea, but can you write a paper to us saying you agree to move it to wall near the street so everyone can see it.” So I wrote up another long solicitude saying I agreed, turned it in and I’m currently still waiting for a response. I promised myself that I’d have this world map before COS (close of service). At this rate I may never make it back to the States.

Next, I either go for a walk with my site mate or sit in the chairs in front of my house. My house is in the perfect place for people watching and the breeze has recently come back to Piura. I sit and sometimes talk with Rosa as she cleans and prepares for dinner or I’ll watch Hugo lose at the card game he has every afternoon at 4 with his buddies. I also use this time to start doing my papelotes for my next class.

Dinner time! Before the soccer team made its’ way back into town I would eat dinner with Rosa and Hugo alone in the restaurant. I have to admit I miss the time alone with my host parents, but, it’s good for Rosa’s business.

Then, I bust out my external hard drive and watch Boy Meets World (yup I have all seven seasons) or read. Take another shower if I’m feeling crazy, and go to bed only to start the day all over again.

**If anyone is interested in sending children’s books in SPANISH to the address on the site. The kids and I would love it! Not only am I planning on reading to these kids- I want to start putting better books in the towns library. I will also be back in the states in 2 weeks if you want to send them to my house!

…..And because you guys took the time to read all of that. Here are some random pictures of random things that happened over the last couple of months.