1 year down, 1 year to go

Peace Corps life is like a bowl of tomato soup- a bowl of soup that you tried to cook from scratch using two separate recipes and without all the right ingredients, in the dark, over a flaming pile of firewood, and without the blender that both recipes mandated. In other words, it's not quite as smooth as you'd like it to be. But you learn to lower your standards and enjoy it anyway.

This week I decided that after nine months, it was about time I made a legitimate effort to get my ecoclub started with the school kids. I talked to the school director, who made an announcement in front of the entire school, but neglected to tell me that Wednesday, the day of the first meeting, the entire school was going to the next town over for a fiesta. So at 3PM I went out to wait in the plaza with my book, pretty certain that no one would show up, but around 3:30 a couple of kids appeared in the plaza and came to hover around my bench. Not daring to believe it, I tried to sound totally casual as I asked, "Sooo... what are you guys here for?" They looked at me as if I were a total idiot. Um, duh, that thing you told us about? So against ALL odds, the ecoclub meeting actually happened, and I held their attention for at least 20 minutes before the boys decided that the hot potato circle was really better as a wrestling ring.

Some of my girls on a visit to the nearby pre-Incan ruins

Work at the recycling center has taken a turn away from my interests. After bringing one of the workers to a workshop in Chiclayo about planting Tara trees, we were both totally stoked to plant some native species. When we got back, however, we found out that the mayor had sudden plans to plant 20,000 invasive, nutrient-sucking Eucalyptus trees. So I watched with growing despair as the little black bags full of dirt multiplied over and over to fill every empty space in the tree nursery. It's taken me 9 months to plant 200 trees because no one sees the importance of planting native species, but with one word from the mayor 20,000 seeds are planted practically overnight. It's amazing how quickly things can get done, and makes it all the more frustrating to see my own projects develop so slowly.

Even with the little stuff, you can't count on things to go the way you expect. For example, I wanted to do laundry yesterday, but it's kind of tough when there's a 200lb dead pig on top of the sink. Turns out yesterday was pig-slaughtering day. Fortunately when it comes to killing and cooking a pig, I am only slightly more useful than the 4-year-old, so I mostly got to watch and shell peas and I was TOTALLY ok with that. Anyway, that's why I'm wearing a dirty t-shirt. I swear it's not my fault.

My host dad with the pig.

In other news, the trip to Cusco with my parents was amazing. If you want all the details, don't be afraid to ask them. They seem to love talking about it. For me, the best part was when they came to visit me at my home. The host fam got a kick out of my dad's moustache, especially when it turned orange while eating guinea pig. My sisters still giggle about it. So thanks for the laughs, pops.

Gringos in the kitchen

Now I'm off to dinner with my friends to celebrate the our 1-year-in-country anniversary. One year ago today, I was having a heart attack in Washington DC wondering if I was somehow deranged for actually choosing to move to Peru. Now I know that yes, indeed, I am a little crazy. But I'm ok with that too. Hasta la proxima...

Me and host sister Mayeli

Time passes in funny splurts. One day I am complaining that the month of June seems to stretch eternally in front of me, with loads of empty days to somehow fill, and then suddenly it is the middle of July and I am over 6 weeks behind on my blog. My apologies, but I swear I don't know where all that time went.

To recap June, in many ways it was a letdown after the busy month of May. After taking a trip to the northern part of Peru for a Peace Corps workshop the first week of June, I came back to site to find that all my work opportunities had pretty much fallen flat while I was gone, through circumstances outside my control. The school was celebrating its anniversary, which meant a lot of parties and not a lot of class, and construction at the recycling center had ground to a halt in the absence of the engineer in charge. Fortunately I could look forward to another trip to Lima with the WID/GAD committee. We put together presentations for both PC staff and the trainees, and the stress of throwing together two presentations in one day was a welcome break from the slow pace of life in the mountains. I guess I am programmed to feel more useful when I am stressed and strung out on Starbucks.

My beautiful recycling center, if only it were operational

Thus far July has brought a few exciting events- my secondary school kids won first place in a district dance competition, and I taught my very first environmental class at the school and helped the kids make a compost heap. This was huge for me, since environmental education is one of my program's goals and I have been working very hard to get my foot in the door at the school.

The boys before the dance competition

Other than that, I spend a lot of time reading and eating cookies. I find that inactivity is a powerful trigger for my sweet-tooth. Intending to use them as a reward for kids who helped with a garbage clean-up (which never happened because of more school parties) I purchased an 18-pack of fiestachip cookies, 4 cookies to a pack, and over the course of about 4 days, I somehow managed to eat every last crumb. You do the math. It's ok, though, because I recently learned that I am eating for two (or perhaps two thousand). I think of it as a test of character... of all the challenges to be faced as a volunteer, I had still been living in fear of the prospect of getting a stomach worm, or worms. Well the day arrived, about two weeks ago, when I found irrefutable evidence of having at least one little friend. I'll spare you all the details, and the pictures, but I'll just say that when all was said and done, I handled it with much more composure than I had thought I would. I passed the test, and I am now pretty confident I can handle anything the Peace Corps can throw at me.

Anyway... I am now looking forward to my folks arriving in less than 2 weeks. Get ready mom and dad, you're gonna eat guinea pig!

Just in case...

If any of you incoming Peru 13-ers have found my blog in an anxious attempt to find out anything and everything possible about Peru in the next three days, here are a few tidbits to help with last minute packing:

1. You CAN buy peanut butter in Peru. It's expensive, but always worth it. You can also buy Oreos, which go great with PB and are fun to eat in bed at night. But be sure to brush your teeth afterward, or you might get a cavity (like me)

2. Other things you CAN buy here: snickers bars, ramen noodles, shampoo, facewash, macaroni and cheese (kraft, nonetheless), batteries, baby wipes, sunglasses, ritz crackers, cheap movies, listerine and colgate toothpaste

3. Some things I am REALLY glad I packed: My yoga mat (good for all sorts of exercise, and great as a rug when it's not in use), yoga pants/sweatpants (I almost never wear jeans in site), lots of tampons (they're really expensive here), comfy hiking shoes, my teddy bear

4. Don't worry too much about packing dress clothes- you'll only need them a couple of times- and think durable rather than super classy.

5. And last but not least, don't stress too much because we all end up wearing the same four t-shirts every day for two years anyway, and no one here is judging.

There Are No Llamas Here

I'm not sure that I've actually clarified that yet- in spite of my blog address, the only llama that I have met in Peru is one that hangs out in the plaza in Huaraz wearing sunglasses and a hat. And I haven't even really met that llama, since you have to pay to take a picture with him. There are LOTS of donkeys, though, and dogs, sheep, and pigs. The donkeys make horrible noises, the dogs have fleas, the sheep hang out in the middle of the road and always cause delays, and the pigs bust through the front door a dozen times a day and proceed to trash the kitchen looking for food. I guess I'm not much of an animal person here. But I have pretty much mastered the art of yelling at animals in Quechua. Mostly you just say their names. To make a donkey get out of your way, for example, you just say "ashnu," kind of like sneezing, and it will immediately start to move. Not too hard. Getting the pigs out of the house is a little more complicated- you yell "kuchi," but it is much more effective if you give them a kick in the tail at the same time. I can't wait to eat porkchops. And yes, swine flu has arrived in Peru which makes it even more fun to see their dirty little noses rummaging through the breakfast dishes.

I have had quite the series of adventures the past two months. Diana came to visit in April, bringing a precious block of cheese and a box of Lucky Charms. In exchange I offered her the unique opportunity to sit on a sheep and to swim in a glacial lake. I think I got the better deal.

Me, Diana, some huaino singer lady, and Erica at Campo Santo, the site of a 1970 landslide that buried the town of Old Yungay

A few weeks later I took my first hike up into the mountains to the spectacular Lake 69 (no joke, that's its name) with the other volunteers, and last weekend a group of us went on an overnight trail clean with the tourist association with which Erica and I work. We covered about 40km in two days, climbing from 3,000m to 4,300m altitude and then back down. To say that I was exhausted doesn't even begin to do it justice, but it was well worth the trek.

The volunteers on our way back from Lake 69

The next day, Erica and I led our first workshop on garbage management and recycling, which went surprisingly well. We were anticipating the worst- that after all the work that went into brining the garbage off of the trail, someone would end up burning it before we could get our hands on it- and I was about ready to sleep on top of the garbage bags to make sure that didn't happen. But against all odds, we were able to present our chat on the day for which it was scheduled the garbage was still there, and we got three dozen men to sort out the recycling and throw the rest into a mini landfill.

Some arrieros (donkey drivers) with their recycling

It is a small step towards our bigger goals, but if I have learned anything in the Peace Corps, it is to appreciate ever step that takes you in the right direction, no matter how small.

Hotel Hangover

I had a nice run of work-related travel, which was definitely more like vacation, starting with Quechua training, then a trip to Lima, and finally a nice stay on the beach to cap it all off. After three weeks of hot showers, sunshine, and speaking English, heading back to site was like jumping into a cold lake- I was totally dreading the return to Quechua, mud, rain, bucket baths, and isolation. And the first days back were tough, especially going home to find all my belongings, including my pillows, covered in mold. But just like jumping into that lake, after the initial shock you realize the water isn't so bad after all. It's nice to be back in my own bed, even if it does smell like flea spray. And as slow as life in the campo can feel, it is never boring. There is no shortage of random craziness to keep life interesting. Like Monday, when the adobe wall of our house fell on my sister. She's OK- just a sprained foot and a broken backpack- but a bed-ridden 3-year-old is actually more irritating than one who can follow you around. I try to be patient with her endless stream of wailing demands, though, since I feel a bit responsible for her injury. After all, I was closest to her when the wall collapsed, and I might have been able to grab her if my self-preservation instinct hadn't kicked in before my maternal one. I was already half-way across the patio before I thought to try to save her. Oops. So much for playing the hero.

At Lake Llanganuco, in Ancash, with Tyler and Shannon

Trying to get started with some real work has also provided plenty of opportunity for me to reflect on how absurd my life is these days, although I am making some progress. I have agreed with the new school director (the third one in three months) to work with the Environmental Ed. teacher, and reluctantly agreed to work with the English teacher as well. I was going to start the very next day, but the teacher didn't show up. I played volleyball and football with all the other teachers instead, in the middle of the school day, while the kids were supposed to be "working independently" (which is as ineffective in Peru as in any other country). But it was fun, and I definitely earned my place on the football team. Volleyball is pending. I need to work on a more consistent serve.

A trip to the municipality to talk to the mayor was also more exciting than expected- not only did Erica and I get a lot of good information, which almost never happens, but we also got surprised by a radio show host who wanted to interview us about the Peace Corps. The mayor didn't ever show up, but it was still an above-average day for being productive. So things are looking pretty good in Tzactza right now, and with a little help from my friend Hershey's (thanks dbrad) I am recovering well from my hotel hangover.

Getting ready for a cold jump into Lake Llanganuco, an Ancash PCV tradition

A taste of normality

The other day I went to the US for coffee. Then I walked back out onto the street into Peru again. This magical space warp is commonly known as Starbucks. And I actually went more than once. More like three times in three days during a shocking dip into urban life last week. I made my first trip back to Lima after three months in the mountains, and although I absolutely love the easy-going Andean lifestyle, Lima was a refreshing return to "normal" life.

In the short but busy trip, I started each morning with a grande coffee from Starbucks, which feels exactly like a US Starbucks except that the menu is in Spanish. Then I was off to the Peace Corps office for a 9 to 5 day of meetings. I am working with the Women in Development / Gender and Development (WID/GAD) committee, which is a 5 member team in charge of developing gender-related training programs and resources for Peace Corps staff and volunteers. It is a relatively new committee, and we spent almost two full days working on mission statements and developing a set of objectives to direct future WID/GAD activities in Peru. It was a lot of nitty-gritty work, and by the end of the three days, I was tired, a bit frantic, and totally strung out on coffee. In other words, the most normal I have felt in months. I also got to meet a bunch of new volunteers, eat good food, and get updated on all the Peru gossip. All in all, a very successful first business trip.

Now I am back in Huaraz, but things haven't slowed down much. I catch another night bus tomorrow to go to reconnect in Pacasmayo, where all the Peru 12ers will be together for the first time since November. It's going to be a crazy time on the coast, mixed with official business of course. Sorry to all of you who are still battling the last days of winter, but I'm off to the beach!

A few life observations:

1. I don't understand Carnaval. It is a seemingly endless celebration that starts in January and lasts through the beginning of March, and for the entire stretch you have to watch out for kids with squirt guns, water balloons, and buckets. I've tried several techniques including intimidation (yelling and running directly at the offenders), the classic Peruvian finger shake that means 'no way,' and even pleading (por favor, soy una pobre gringa), all with very little success. And whatever you do, DON'T sit by an open window in a car or bus, because you will get drenched. And then sometimes the woman next to you will decide to change her entire outfit right there in the back seat of the car where you are squeezed in with 5 other people.

Carnaval is also a festival that involves lots of drunk men trying to raise a full tree in the plaza using ropes and ladders. Then more drunk men with axes cut it down. Highly entertaining, but watch from a safe distance.

2. Crayons are God's gift to teachers everywhere. I made it through 6 weeks of English classes which included students aged 5 through 15, a smattering of baby brothers and sisters, several regular dogs, and even a chicken on one occasion. And who would have guessed it, but the 15-year-old boys love coloring just as much as the 3-year-old.


3. I am currently living every 7-year-old child's dream: I get to eat french fries for dinner all the time!! Just french fries, sometimes with white rice. Whenever I am wishing I could have just a little something green on my plate, I remind myself that as a kid I would have been in heaven.

4. I always planned to spend my golden birthday somewhere really cool. As a first-grader, I was thinking something more like Hawaii, but if you had told me that my 23rd birthday would involve an adobe hut and a pot of chocolate pudding, I think I would have liked that.